General Manager of Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Carlo Fuortes, has named Maestro Daniele Gatti as the opera house’s new Musical Director, with a three-year tenure, until 31 December 2021.
The orchestra director’s first time working at the theatre at the inauguration of the 2016-2017 Season with Tristan und Isolde. He then returned to the podium for opening night on 12 December 2017 with La Damnation de Faust, and again for the inauguration of the 2018-2019 Season last Sunday with Rigoletto. Beginning with the 2019-2020 Season, Gatti will conduct three operas each season.
In August of this year Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra sacked Gatti, it’s chief conductor, following media allegations of sexual assault – something he denied.
Gatti said,
It is an honour for me to be able to embrace this new role at the Teatro dell’Opera in my nation’s capital. After General Manger Carlo Fuortes’ invitation two years ago, I set out on a journey with the musicians and all those who work in the theatre, which has given us great satisfaction. Together we brought two works to life, Tristan und Isolde and La Damnation de Faust¸ which won the Abbiati Prize; and we have just inaugurated this season with a new Rigoletto.
I am particularly happy to be able to intensify my work here and link myself to a theatre that has recently distinguished itself for the outstanding quality of its projects and the work of all the people involved in realizing them.
Virginia Raggi, the Mayor of Rome and President of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma Foundation, said,
The prestige of the Opera di Roma, which has grown in recent years thanks to our shared commitment, is enhanced by the presence of Mr Gatti, recognized as one of the greatest orchestral directors the world over. I am very happy about his return to our city and about the excellent work he will do at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
Fuortes added,
I am happy and proud of this nomination. This will complete our plan to revive the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, which I have been committed to for the past four years since my tenure first began. Daniele Gatti’s extraordinary artistic career, the results he has achieved conducting the operas we have offered to him, and the reciprocal establishment of trust he has nurtured with the orchestra and with the chorus assure me to have made the right choice in respecting the theatre’s best interests.
Over the past few years, the Opera di Roma has acquired an ever-greater esteem from its audiences and its critics. This is merit of the teamwork within the theatre and of the artists that have collaborated with us. Our orchestra and chorus have missed the figure of absolute value that a director can offer in maintaining a superior level as well as a continuous, working rapport – Daniele Gatti will be able to excel in doing just this.
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano’) about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine.
