La Scala Brings Milan to New York
At the Consulate General of Italy in New York, Fortunato Ortombina, superintendent and artistic director of La Scala, unveiled the Milanese theater’s 2025/26 season. Hosted by Claudio Pagliara, director of the Italian Cultural Institute, and Consul General Fabrizio Di Michele, the event celebrated the strong cultural ties between Milan and the United States ahead of two milestones: the theater’s 250th anniversary in 2028, the American Jubilee in 2026.
Ortombina emphasized that La Scala is more than an orchestra, it’s a community of “tailors, technicians, singers, dancers, and workers” whose passion brings opera to life. The upcoming season blends tradition and innovation, featuring the new Wagnerian Ring, Shostakovich tributes, and productions like Turandot and Nabucco. The season will also mark Riccardo Chailly’s final inauguration as music director before a smooth leadership transition.
La Scala Ballet continues to strengthen its identity, presenting classics like The Sleeping Beauty alongside new works developed with the Royal Ballet.
In the U.S., the Italian Cultural Institute will open “La Divina in Washington: Two Artists at La Scala for Maria Callas” in January 2026, while the documentary “La Scala – The Force of Destiny” expands the theater’s reach to global audiences. The American Association for La Scala will also host its annual gala in New York this November, supporting youth projects and introducing opera to new generations.
In his closing speech, Ortombina reflected on La Scala’s mission to balance civic roots with international presence. The invitation, to New Yorkers and beyond, is simple: coming to Milan isn’t just about seeing a performance, it’s about sharing an urban experience—an evening at the theater, a stroll through the Galleria, dinner in the restaurants around the Piermarini—that conveys the tangible sense of a musical capital. And New York, where opera still has an audience, a memory, and a curiosity, remains the natural audience for this.
Source: La Voce di New York, Simone d’Altavilla
Adapted by: Kate Netzer
