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Venice's La Fenice Cancels Season-Opening Concert Due to Strike
La Fenice canceled the opening concert of its 2024/2025 season, Verdi's Otello, scheduled for November 20, due to a staff strike. Performances of the opera, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung and directed by Fabio Ceresa, will now begin on November 23, with additional shows on November 26, 29, and December 1 proceeding as planned.
La Fenice canceled the opening concert of its 2024/2025 season, Verdi's Otello, scheduled for November 20, due to a staff strike. Performances of the opera, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung and directed by Fabio Ceresa, will now begin on November 23, with additional shows on November 26, 29, and December 1 proceeding as planned.
This marks the first cancellation of a season opener at La Fenice in 31 years, following a similar strike-related disruption in 1993. The strike, led by unions demanding higher wages and more staff, has also caused the cancellation of two concerts earlier this year.
Outgoing superintendent Fortunato Ortombina, set to lead La Scala, criticized the strike as "disproportionate." His replacement remains uncertain, with Pierangelo Conte and Nicola Colabianchi as leading candidates.