Ortombina: 'Abroad in search of resources and partners for a stronger Scala'
The new superintendent explains the programmes and strategies of his term of office. International development and territorial links are priorities
Key points
"If I had to summarise the objective of my mandate in one sentence, it is that, after the five years in which I will be at the helm of the theatre, there will no longer be any Milanese who can say they have never been to La Scala". Fortunato Ortombina - former artistic coordinator of the Piermarini from 2003 to 2007, then artistic director of La Fenice in Venice, of which he has been superintendent since 2017 - took over Dominique Meyer's baton at the helm of the La Scala foundation on 17 February last.
The Numbers of the Scaliger Foundation
What theatre did you find again, after so many years?
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A modern Scala, which does culture and research, and is economically healthy. The year 2024 closed with a budget of around 129 million euro and a profit of 200 thousand euro. But above all, with an increase in the number of spectators, 456,800 compared to 398,000 in 2023, in the number of subscribers, which is over 11,000, and in the auditorium fill rate, which has reached 91%. One figure that makes us proud is that of the under-35s, who now make up 30% of our audience. These numbers reflect La Scala's ability to catch the tailwind that has driven all Italian opera houses after the pandemic and to organise the reception of the new generations. One of my goals will be to further strengthen the dialogue with young people and the activities aimed at children and teenagers.
The Milanese public is very fond of La Scala: how can this bond be consolidated?
Through listening. Each spectator is an individual universe, who comes to the theatre sharing with other people a passion and an event to attend, but each with their own wealth of experience. They entrust us with three hours of their lives, which are worth much more than the ticket price. So our duty is to thicken the dialogue with the audience, to really get to know people and what they want. I like to stand in the foyer before the show and during the breaks, greet the audience when they arrive and talk to them. I have always done that and I won't stop doing it. At the same time, we need to thicken the activities for the children, also developing the possibility of having them interact with the show. Maybe in this way, 50 years from now, all the Milanese will be able to say not only that they have been, but also that they have sung at La Scala.
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