Conductor Beatrice Venezi has formally challenged the decision by Teatro La Fenice to terminate its collaboration with her, describing the measure as “null, unlawful, ineffective and discriminatory.”
According to the Italian newspaper L’Unione Sarda, Venezi’s lawyers sent a certified letter to the Foundation on 9 June contesting the decision that cancelled her appointment as music director, which had been scheduled to begin in October 2026.
The move marks a new chapter in a dispute that has dominated headlines in the Italian classical music world since the spring.
In the letter, Venezi reportedly argued that the reasons given by the Foundation for ending the relationship were insufficiently specific and failed to identify the statements that allegedly justified the decision. She also reiterated her intention to continue her professional activities through 2030.
The Foundation’s superintendent, Nicola Colabianchi, appeared unfazed by the legal challenge.
“She can obviously proceed,” Colabianchi told L’Unione Sarda. “We have no problem. Our lawyers will respond. We are completely calm.”
Colabianchi also stated that the Foundation does not have a signed contract with Venezi, a remark that could become significant should the dispute escalate further.
La Fenice, announced the termination of all future collaborations with Venezi on 26 April citing public statements it considered offensive and damaging to the institution and its orchestra. The immediate trigger was an interview with the Argentine newspaper La Nación, in which the conductor criticised the internal culture of the Venetian opera house and suggested that orchestral positions were often passed down “from father to son.”
The dismissal followed months of tension surrounding her appointment. Trade unions and orchestra members repeatedly protested against her designation, while critics questioned whether her close relationship with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had played a role in her selection.
Days after her dismissal, Venezi responded in an interview with Corriere della Sera, accusing the theatre of allowing a hostile climate to develop around her and claiming she had been abandoned by political figures who had previously supported her. At the time, she also indicated that legal action against the Foundation was under consideration.
It remains unclear whether the dispute will ultimately reach the courts, but the exchange of formal legal correspondence suggests that neither side is prepared to back down.
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