The Board of Directors of the Haydn Foundation and the Orchestra’s Artistic Representatives have decided to appoint André Comploi as Artistic Director on an interim basis after Giorgio Battistelli’s resignation.

Comploi began the role on Nov. 1 and will serve until Sept. 30, 2026. The Foundation is starting procedures to initiate a public call for expressions of interest, aimed at appointing the new Artistic Director starting for the 2026/27 season.

Comploi is a musicologist originally from San Vigilio di Marebbe. After working for 14 years at the Vienna State Opera, 10 of which as head of press office, Comploi has been artistic coordinator of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan since 2020. Since 2022, he has also been a member of the University Council of the Free University of Bolzano and, since 2025, has been Director of Ladin Education, Training and Culture in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano.

“I thank André Comploi for his willingness to assume this important responsibility during this transitional period,” stated Haydn Foundation President Paul Gasser in a press release. “I have been able to fully appreciate his sensitivity and attention to the many needs and opportunities emerging within the Foundation. His professional experience, gained at leading European institutions, represents an added value in strengthening the link between local roots and international outreach, two fundamental pillars of the Haydn Foundation’s journey.

It was revealed in the same release that the President, along with the Board, now has “unanimous regret” that organizational disagreements may have led to Battistelli’s decision.

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