The Teatro La Fenice in Venice has confirmed that the performance of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck scheduled for Friday, 17 October 2025 has been cancelled following a strike called by the theatre’s main unions. The action comes in protest against the appointment of Beatrice Venezi as Music Director, a position she is due to assume in October 2026 for a four-year term.
Union opposition
The strike was formally declared by the RSU (Rappresentanza Sindacale Unitaria) and the main workers’ organisations, which have demanded the revocation of Venezi’s nomination. The unions argue that the appointment lacked transparency and was made without consulting the orchestra or the staff. In a letter addressed to Superintendent Nicola Colabianchi, musicians also questioned the conductor’s artistic qualifications for the role, pointing out that she had previously led the La Fenice orchestra only in a short promotional concert.
The protest coincides with the planned opening of Wozzeck, which was to close the 2024–25 season. The theatre’s official website confirmed the cancellation and published instructions for ticket refunds, which will be processed automatically for online purchases or by bank transfer for box-office sales.
Political dimension
Both Italian and international media have noted Venezi’s past role as adviser to the Ministry of Culture between 2022 and 2024 and her closeness to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The debate has revived tensions around the relationship between politics and cultural institutions in Italy.
In statements reported by the Italian and French press, Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli defended Venezi, describing her as “an excellent artist and conductor,” while Superintendent Colabianchi reaffirmed the appointment, calling it “a choice based on artistic merit.” Venice’s mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who chairs the foundation, proposed opening a process of dialogue with Venezi, but the unions replied that such discussions could only take place if her appointment were revoked.
A wider controversy
Since the announcement of Venezi’s nomination on 22 September, the decision has faced growing resistance within the theatre. The workers’ assembly previously declared a state of unrest, and the strike now represents the most visible sign of internal division. While Venezi has not commented publicly on the protest, she expressed on social media her gratitude for the trust placed in her and her wish to begin “an artistic and human dialogue with the theatre and its audience.”
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