Alessandro Totaro has resigned from the board of the Teatro La Fenice following the confirmation of Beatrice Venezi as Music Director.

Tortaro, who is also a conductor and professor at the Conservatorio di Venezia, took to social media to right a statement that said that “It is equally illegitimate, or at least not correct, for Colabianchi to announce that the appointment was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors, something that never happened.”

He added, “While Beatrice Venezi’s appointment was absolutely legitimate, it’s inappropriate for her—or at least unacceptable to me—to publicly refer to La Fenice as a “theater with anarchic management,” a statement that implicates the Superintendent, the President, and the entire Board. It’s also inappropriate to embrace someone who has just publicly declared that the orchestra and choir members of “her” theater are “dummies whose highest qualification is baptism.” The orchestra members and choir members of the Teatro La Fenice are not only not “dummies,” but are top-level professionals, some of them among the best on the international scene.”

Totaro is the latest to protest the naming of Venezi’s appointment following Domenico Muti, who cited a bad “climate” in the theater and the workers of the theater, who have protested the appointment due to Venezi’s closeness to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government.

Here is the complete statement:

RESIGNATION
Good, or rather, bad: the time has finally come to draw conclusions from my brief experience as a board member of the Teatro La Fenice. As is my custom, I’ll proceed point by point to present the story as clearly as possible. Let’s rewind to the first chapter of this truly Italian saga.
THE APPOINTMENT. In January 2025, I was contacted by the Ministry of Culture, asking if I would be available to serve as a board member at the Teatro La Fenice Foundation. They told me they needed a technical figure—a musician. For me, it’s a great honor: it’s one of the most prestigious theaters in the world, it’s the theater of my city, it’s the theater where I received my musical education, it’s the theater where I conducted the Accademia Musicale di San Giorgio several times, the orchestra in residence at the Cini Foundation, where I was artistic director and principal conductor for years. I accepted, flattered and surprised, as I have no political affiliation.
THE SUPERINTENDENT. In a democracy, whoever wins the elections has the right to govern, including the theaters, which are fundamental institutions of our country. The superintendent, hypocrisy aside, is a political figure. The name Nicola Colabianchi comes to mind. He held this position at the Rome Opera and Cagliari Opera House. He teaches at the Rome Conservatory. He therefore has all the credentials. His candidacy is proposed by the President, approved by the Council, and communicated to the Ministry, which appoints him.
THE VENICE AFFAIR. Nicola Colabianchi appoints Beatrice Venezi as musical director of the Teatro La Fenice. It is a legitimate appointment, as stated in the Statute, the fundamental law of the Theater. One can disagree, protest, or argue about a violation of procedures, but the appointment is legal. It is equally illegitimate, or at least not correct, for Colabianchi to announce that the appointment was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors, something that never happened. The Board, again according to the Statute, has no authority to express an opinion on artistic appointments; it can only do so regarding budget approval, programming, the selection of the Superintendent, and labor disputes. Full stop. I stated this opinion publicly, and at a subsequent meeting, I opposed the inclusion in the minutes of the phrase “the Board unanimously approves the appointment of Beatrice Venezi as musical director of the theater,” preferring instead to provide generic support for Venezi as the theater’s musical director, legitimately appointed by the Superintendent. Meanwhile, the “Venezi affair” becomes a topic of national political discussion.
WELFARE. No one on the Board, least of all its President, has ever considered suspending the provision of the so-called “welfare” in retaliation for the protests that followed Beatrice Venezi’s appointment. Since the unions had publicly aired a threat to cancel the New Year’s Concert (actually four concerts), more than €850,000 was at risk—not exactly a trivial sum, or a negligible impact on the budget. And since we’re talking about La Fenice, not the Maerne bowling club (which doesn’t exist, so I don’t offend anyone), it made perfect sense to suspend payment of that donation until it was certain the money would actually reach the coffers. This decision was also approved by the Board of Auditors, the third-party administrative oversight body. The union leaders at the time took it out on me, as a musician, bestowing upon me their respect and applause, which I reciprocate with equal affection. The outcome of the story is well known: as soon as the receipt of funds was certified, the “welfare” benefit was paid out.
SHORT CIRCUIT. While Beatrice Venezi’s appointment was absolutely legitimate, it’s inappropriate for her—or at least unacceptable to me—to publicly refer to La Fenice as a “theater with anarchic management,” a statement that implicates the Superintendent, the President, and the entire Board. It’s also inappropriate to embrace someone who has just publicly declared that the orchestra and choir members of “her” theater are “dummies whose highest qualification is baptism.” The orchestra members and choir members of the Teatro La Fenice are not only not “dummies,” but are top-level professionals, some of them among the best on the international scene. The competitive exams for these positions involve extremely complex tests and are infinitely more difficult than any university exam (I can confidently say this, having completed both courses). Equally inappropriate are the statements about the Venetian audience being composed of eighty-year-olds. Given all this, I expected at least a statement from the management of the theater to which I belong. On the contrary, yesterday, once again in defiance of the Statute, the Board of Directors wanted to make a new pronouncement on the nomination of Beatrice Venezi as musical director.