La Fenice confirms Venezi’s role following months of protests by opera house staff.

The board of directors of Venice opera house Teatro La Fenice on Tuesday approved the controversial appointment of Italian conductor and pianist Beatrice Venezi as its new music director. The move follows months of protests over the appointment of Venezi, who has ties to the right-wing party of Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, to the four-year post she will assume next October. Critics allege that her new role is a result of political patronage rather than a purely merit-based selection. La Fenice staff claim that 35-year-old Venezi lacks the experience required for such a high-profile role, citing the fact that she has never conducted an opera at La Fenice or any other major international opera house. Venezi, who also serves as a music advisor to the Italian culture ministry, has long been a polarising figure in the industry. Her nomination to the leading role at the Venetian theatre was met with immediate internal resistance from the artistic staff and the house orchestra who have voiced concerns over both the transparency of the selection process and her artistic credentials. The fallout from the board’s decision on Tuesday was swift. Francesco Muti - son of the legendary conductor Riccardo Muti and a high-ranking artistic coordinator at La Fenice - tendered his resignation in protest immediately following the announcement. Muti’s departure is seen as a blow to the theatre’s administrative stability and a clear signal of the deep-seated disapproval among the artistic leadership. Outside the theatre, staff members and union representatives staged protests, carrying banners that questioned the alleged political nature of the appointment. In recent months, Italy's culture minister Alessandro Giuli has publicly defended Venezi, as has the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro. La Fenice superintendent Nicola Colabianchi said that Venezi was nominated because “she is a very good conductor, and because she is a woman and already respected internationally at only 35”. ...

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