La Fenice, Venezia
(c) Remy Franck

The Teatro La Fenice has canceled its opening night performance of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck on Oct. 17 due to a strike caused by the election of Beatrice Venezi as the company’s new music director.

The workers‘unions of Teatro La Fenice announced the strike and stated it was in protest of Venezi’s new position.

The strike has been supported by all the major opera houses in Italy as well as subscribers. According to the workers, Venezi has never conducted at the Teatro La Fenice and the appointment was made without any transparency. La Fenice’s musicians and staff claim 25-year-old Beatrice Venezi lacks experience and was picked because of government ties.