(Credit: ©️Alessandro Lodola)

In 2022, Francesco Lodola founded Ben Artists, a management and public relations agency for artists that support artists. 

OperaWire: When did your love for opera begin?

Francesco Lodola: I can’t say there was a specific moment when my love for opera began. It sounds like a fairy tale, but my mother always tells the story that during her first ultrasound, the machine, instead of transmitting the sound of the heartbeat, interfered with a radio station that was broadcasting opera. However, there wasn’t a real tradition or passion for opera in our family. My paternal grandfather was named Beniamino (which is also my middle name), like Gigli, and he had a great passion for voices like Toti del Monte. My maternal grandmother loved opera; “La Traviata” was her favorite, but Brindisi, the city where my mother grew up, was and still is far removed from the world of opera and music in general, so she couldn’t truly cultivate this passion. My mother herself couldn’t study the piano as she wished. Therefore, I consciously discovered opera at the age of eight or nine, when my primary school teacher (Annapia, I must mention her name) played Mozart’s Requiem for us in class. It was a true epiphany for me. From that moment on, Mozart became like a classmate, and I started playing the piano to try to be like him. I began to want to know everything about his life and to feel close to him. The same happened with Verdi, whose works we listened to in class – “Traviata,” “Aida,” “Nabucco” – told by my teacher with extraordinary sensitivity, and which we staged, creating dialogues with Verdi’s music as the soundtrack. I began to believe that Violetta died because her heart was broken,” Aida and Radames were proof of the invincibility of love, while Nabucco was the story of the victory of good over evil.

OW: Can you remember your first opera? Which was it?

FL: My first opera experience was “Carmen” at the Arena di Verona, in Franco Zeffirelli’s extraordinary, historic production. Lü Jia was conducting, and the extraordinary Ildikó Komlósi sang the title role. I remember the adrenaline of that very long evening, which lasted almost until 2 a.m. My mother was exhausted, but my eyes were shining. It moves me to remember that evening because over the years I’ve had the good fortune and joy of hearing Maestro Jia conduct again (recently), but above all, of interviewing and spending time in friendship with Ildikó Komlósi, and even after all these years, it seemed incredible to have “my” Carmen in front of me!

That “Carmen” opened up a whole universe for me, which is a true form of addiction, with even “pathological” consequences (lol).

OW: When did you decide to begin your agency?

FL: I should preface this by saying that at the age of 13 I created a web and social media platform dedicated to opera (probably the first in Italy), and through it I watched and reviewed performances, and interviewed over two hundred internationally renowned artists, from Angela Gheorghiu to Thomas Hampson, Anita Rachvelishvili, Aleksandra Kurzak, Dolora Zajick, Leo Nucci, Roberto Alagna, and many, many others. Between 2018 and 2022, I worked as a press officer and social media manager for several artists. At the end of 2022, I realized that my path in that field was no longer enough for me. The aspect I enjoyed most was contributing with my work to creating an image of the artist, a kind of “brand reputation” based on the aspects (including “personal” ones) that made each artist unique. After the pandemic, this work underwent a real revolution, with both positive and negative effects (such as a general homogenization of content). At that point, I decided that I wanted to make a truly meaningful contribution, working on “building” the careers of new artists, often from scratch. This is how Ben Artists Management was born at the beginning of 2023. I must thank two people with whom I have shared many professional and personal moments, two extraordinary artists, Hui He and Elena Moşuc, who have been and are more than mentors to me, a true part of my family. They were the first to see in me the ability to do this job and gave me the courage to embark on a path that, I won’t deny, is always challenging.

OW: What was the most difficult thing during your first year, and what did you learn?

FL: My path has been different from that of many of my colleagues from the very beginning. Often, an agent starts by working as a junior or associate in a major company and then later creates their own independent business. In my case, I worked independently from the start. It required a lot of courage, determination, and healthy ambition. It wasn’t easy, and it still isn’t today. You can encounter institutions open to dialogue and others closed off by prejudice often linked to my young age (which, in their view, rhymes with incompetence or inexperience), a kind of reverse “ageism.” The first year, I won’t deny it, was difficult, with its ups and downs. I must thank my family and friends who didn’t let me give up, making me feel their strength. I must also thank my first piano teacher, Gianna Creston, who from childhood instilled in me a strict, almost military discipline, which is the foundation of my professionalism. This, combined with my resilience and tenacity, but above all the quality of the artists I have the joy of working with, has managed to open doors. And we continue to work every day to open new ones. This is a message that, beyond easy rhetoric, I want to send to my peers, to younger people who are embarking on a path like mine or who have their own “personal” life project, especially in a historical moment like this where mental and social illnesses are often discussed: don’t let anyone discourage you. There will always be someone who tells you that you are worthless or who will ignore you. Believe in your abilities. Don’t give up at the first “no.” There will also be “yeses,” focus on those and channel all your positive energy so that they become more and more frequent. Don’t accept easy compromises. Be objective, determined, healthily ambitious, and use the most powerful weapon in the world: kindness.

OW: As an agency, what do you think makes it unique?

FL: Working and living alongside artists, even in my private life, has given me a clear perspective on the positive and negative aspects of our business. Since founding Ben Artists, my goal has always been to create a “boutique” of artists, avoiding the idea of ​​an endless list of names, many of whom, honestly, are not managed with the same level of commitment. From day one, I have dedicated myself to carefully selecting my artists and establishing a working relationship with them that is not one of subordination, but rather based on teamwork. Hui He always told me that the relationship between agent and artist is like a marriage, where the two partners are mutually committed to making the union a happy one. This is a phrase I always tell artists at the beginning of our working relationship. This is because there are also unhappy marriages, and it’s important to realize this as soon as possible and accept divorce as the only mature and painless solution. I believe that what makes Ben Artists unique is the personalized management approach we take with each artist, because every artist is unique. They must be respected, the truth must be told with tact (even the most uncomfortable or difficult truth), and they must be guided in their choices. There are days when I find myself being an agent, but also a psychologist or a motivator. We are a team. We all work towards the same goal. 

OW: What have you learned about yourself and the world of opera during these years?

FL: This is a very difficult question to answer, because it requires a great deal of introspection. The first thing that comes to mind is an encounter I had some time ago with Maestro Michele Dall’Ongaro, who told me: “to do this job you have to learn to be pleasantly persistent.” For me, who by nature am rather shy and introverted, this has been an intense process of self-improvement. However, I have learned to use the love (this is not an exaggeration) I have for my artists as a driving force. Thinking of them and their value, I felt within myself the strength to fight. My point of reference and my role model has always been Giulio Ricordi, a fundamental figure in the history of opera, a sensitive and capable man who, with his intuition and profound devotion to his talents, brought to light a talent like Giacomo Puccini, who called him “father.” The world of opera, as we all know, is not an easy world. In many cases, the system is entrenched in itself and in potentially harmful or at least toxic dynamics. We must have the courage to admit this in order to change the rules of the “game.” I won’t be the one to change the world, but by each of us adopting an ethical, responsible, clearer, inclusive, future-oriented, open to new ideas, and meritocratic behavior, I am sure that change is possible. That said, I am enthusiastic every day to work with artists; they give me vital energy, and discovering a new artist continues to give me immense joy, just like the first time.

OW: What is your favorite thing about your job?

FL: Definitely sitting in the theater and watching my artists on stage. There’s no more fulfilling feeling, especially when it’s a theater debut or a new role. I’m tense too, and I only relax when I see that everything is going well. I once brought an artist to their absolute stage debut, and I think that was the proudest moment of my career so far. I think the closest feeling is that of a parent at their child’s school play. The anxiety that everything will go well is something that always happens. But then we hug and celebrate at the end.

OW: What have you learned from the artists you work with?

FL: I’ve learned so much from my artists, even about myself. I’ve strengthened my empathy by adapting it to each of them, to their individual psychologies and emotions. Guiding them in their choices, helping them overcome obstacles, and resolving emotional problems or psychological pressures is also a process of self-analysis for me. I’ve even learned some recipes from some of them, especially Chinese cuisine!

I want to thank them here as well, because without them, my life would certainly be emptier and less stimulating.

OW: What is your hope for the next 10 years?

FL: This is a difficult question to answer, because at this point in my life I’m trying to focus on the present, enjoying the peaceful moments as much as possible, which in this euphemistically turbulent historical period are a great gift. In the next 10 years, I hope to still be here working with artists, having fun with them, looking back with a smile on the difficult times, and always nurturing the same love for art, which is the only friend and lover that never abandons you.