La Fenice, Venezia
(c) Remy Franck

Protests are surging against the nomination of Italian conductor Beatrice Venezi, 35, as Music Director of Venice’s Teatro di La Fenice from October 2026, for a term running until 2030. The woman is a fried of Meloni and belongs to the far-right political wing.

This fast-track appointment, made by Superintendent Colabianchi, is due to a « decision imposed from above » according to political opponents, who point the dubious talent of the conductor.

After a production in Trieste, Pizzicato’s Remy Franck said:  » Unfortunately, what could be heard so well in this ‘Entführung aus dem Serail’ was of rather mediocre quality, mainly because of Beatrice Venezi, a conducting disaster. Venezi owes her current career to her involvement in the radical right-wing party of her friend Meloni. She makes no secret of her extreme right-wing and nationalist political ideas. But she has no idea about breathing while conducting, about supporting and carrying the voices, about colors in the orchestra, about rubato and dynamics. »

The unions claim that no transparency was given to the procedure and that no other competing candidate’s name was given. For the time being, a strike threatens the premiere of Wozzeck, scheduled for October 17, under the direction of Markus Stenz.