About us

The history, people, and figures of the world's oldest opera festival

About us

The Opera Festival at the Arena di Verona was born on 10th August 1913, with the first performance of Aida commissioned by Veronese tenor Giovanni Zenatello and theatre impresario Ottone Rovato to commemorate the centenary of Giuseppe Verdi's birth. For over a hundred years (except for two brief interruptions during the great wars and the pandemic), every summer, the Roman amphitheatre is transformed into the world's largest open-air opera house.

 

The current organisational structure is the result of the reform enshrined in Law Decree no. 134 of 1998 and by D.L. 134 of 1998, which transformed the opera houses into private-law Foundations, giving rise to the current Fondazione Arena di Verona, and sanctioned the possibility of entry to private partners. The Fondazione's current Founding Members are the Italian State, the Ministry of Culture, the Veneto Region, the Municipality of Verona, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Verona and Cattolica
Assicurazioni. In the past, the Province of Verona, Fondazione Cariverona, the Banca Popolare di Verona and the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona.

 

The institutional purpose is to perform non-profit cultural activities of public utility, pursuing the dissemination of musical art and musical education for the general public.

Our numbers

1994 years since its construction in 30 A.D., between the reign of Augustus and the reign of Claudius. The largest Roman amphitheatre still in use, with 101 Opera Seasons; 111 years since the first Festival; 30,000 actual seats; 31 metres high; an oval of 140 X 100 metres. An average of 1421 people at work per season, including 144 singers; 144 orchestra professors; 162 chorus artistes; 62 minor chorus artistes; 14 repetiteurs; 62 dancers; 64 mimes and acrobats; 190 extras; 55 child extras; 5 stage managers; 4 assistant directors; 80 stage technicians; 24 electricians; 69 dressmakers and wardrobe assistants; 4 people in Costume Direction; 23 make-up artists and hairdressers; 4500 costumes and 325 hours of make-up; 34 set construction workers; 10 maintenance technicians; 12 instrument holders; 200 theatre masks; 48 backstage masks; 85 administrative employees. An average of 50 evenings per season with over 400,000 spectators.

Digital numbers

The Arena di Verona wins on the Italian front when it comes to the digital world and social media, at the top of the Foundations in our country in the ranking of likes, followers, impressions, interactions and comments, and fourth worldwide in the overall ranking after such prestigious institutions as the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York: an achievement that definitely lives up to the hype of the city it represents in the world.

 

Social media and digital numbers (2023):

46.750.542 contacts reached on Instagram and Facebook

12.439.436 contacts reached on Instagram

16.000 hours of videos watched on socials

 

Management

General Manager/Sovrintendente
Cecilia Gasdia
cecilia.gasdia@arenadiverona.it 
sovrintendenza@arenadiverona.it

 

General Manager Assistant and Communication and Archives Assistant
Romy Gaida 
romy.gaida@arenadiverona.it

 

Artistic Director
Cecilia Gasdia
cecilia.gasdia@arenadiverona.it 
sovrintendenza@arenadiverona.it

 

Deputy Artistic Director
Stefano Trespidi  
stefano.trespidi@arenadiverona.it

 

Production Manager
Stefano Mazza  
stefano.mazza@arenadiverona.it

 

Director of Stage Design
Michele Olcese  
michele.olcese@arenadiverona.it

 

Director of Security
Matteo Salvetti  
sicurezza@arenadiverona.it

 

Director of Human Resources
Stefano Trespidi ad interim
ufficio.personale@arenadiverona.it

 

Administration and Management Control Manager
Andrea Delaini  
andrea.delaini@arenadiverona.it

 

Procurement and Logistic Manager
ufficio.acquisti@arenadiverona.it

 

Sales and Marketing Manager
Cecilia Gasdia ad interim, Andrea Compagnucci
commerciale@arenadiverona.it

 

Ticketoffice manager
Barbara Andreis  
barbara.andreis@arenadiverona.it

 

Person in charge for the corruption prevention
Cecilia Gasdia  
sovrintendenza@arenadiverona.it

 

Transparency Manager
Andrea Delaini  
andrea.delaini@arenadiverona.it

 

Data Protection officer (Reg. Europeo 679/2016 - art. 37 par. 7 del RGPD)    
Avv. Roberto Nicolini  

Our programme

Arena di Verona Opera Festival

7 June - 7 September 2024

The magic of opera under the stars is back: discover the 101st edition

Teatro Filarmonico

21 January - 31 December 2024

Opera, Symphony, Ballet and much more: Appointments for 2024

Useful information

Soci Fondatori e Partner

Founding Members

Major Partner Arena di Verona Opera Festival