AND The Fenice New Year’s concert was presented to the press this morning, which for the 23rd year will be broadcast on Rai1 (from 12.20 on 1 January), on Radio3 and throughout Europe by the Franco-German broadcaster Arte. A conference which, in addition to the artistic part, also addressed the current affairs of the theatre, caught up in a conflict between the superintendent and the workers since the end of September, due to the unarranged appointment of Beatrice Venezi as musical director (from October 2026).
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The concert will be directed by Michele Mariotti, one of the most acclaimed batons on the current scene, currently musical director of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, who debuts on this occasion on the highest Venetian stage. “I’m as happy as a child” said Mariotti, who also thanked the previous superintendent Fortunato Ortombina who had selected him. «We do not exist without those we work with, let me thank the choir and the orchestra. There is a lot of quality in this theatre” added Mariotti.
With him, in addition to the choir and the orchestra, two exceptional solo voices: the soprano Rosa Feola – very welcome return after his appearance in the 2021 and 2017 New Year’s Concerts – and the tenor Jonathan Tetelman, also performing for the first time at the Fenice. Among the artists involved, a mention cannot fail to be given to Alfonso Caiani, master of the Chorus of the Teatro La Fenice, and then to Eleonora Abbagnato and Friedemann Vogel who, together with the dance troupe of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, will dance the choreographies of Diego Tortelli, wearing stage costumes created by Laura Biagiotti. The choreographies – recorded at the Palazzo Grimani Museum and in the spaces of the Architecture Biennale – will be broadcast during the live television broadcast on Rai1.
Excellent economic condition. The superintendent: «Bonus to workers only deferred»
Superintendent Nicola Colabianchi is at his first concert at the Fenice (he was appointed in March) and therefore focused on the situation of the theatre. «Here at La Fenice I found a very functional machine, even if there were and are, as always, union tensions» he said. The choice is that of a less generalist musical program, all Italian, with many pages never performed. Without forgetting the classics loved by the public.
The general director Andrea Erri wanted to thank Rai: «We hope they never leave us» he joked. Every year it is sold out on January 1st, and with just 4 New Year’s Eve concerts we cover 12% of the annual turnover. «Every year we improve, sorry for those who find increasingly expensive tickets but the market demand is enormous» said Erri.
Such a solid and exciting budget led reporters to ask the superintendent why welfare was frozen (for workers it would be a retaliatory measure for the protests), but Colabianchi assured that it was only deferred: «When we have the consolidated budget it will arrive».
The silent protest of the workers: a pin to the entire public
As already announced, the theater workers that day each worker will wear one
pin, with a treble clef and a heart, self-financed. For the concert on January 1st the pin will also be given to the public who will be present in the room.
«With this gesture, the orchestra teachers, the choir artists and all the technical and administrative staff intend to make visible their unity and determination in defending the dignity of work and the future of the Theatre. The extraordinary participation in the fundraising and the numerous requests received from all over Italy and from colleagues of many opera and symphony foundations and musical and cultural entities, demonstrate how heartfelt this initiative is” the union representatives communicated today in a note.
The musical program of New Year’s concerts
The four repeats of the New Year’s Eve concerts in Fenice will be held: Monday 29 December 2025 at 8.00 pm; Tuesday 30 December at 5.00 pm; Wednesday 31 December at 4.00 pm; Thursday 1 January 2026 at 11.15am.
As usual, the musical program will be made up of two parts, which this year will both be dedicated to melodrama: the layout will in fact propose a series of overtures, interludes, arias and choral passages from the most loved operatic repertoire, which will conclude as per tradition with «Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate» from Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi and with the toast «Libiam ne’ pleased glasses» from Traviata by Verdi. This second part of the program will be broadcast live by Rai Cultura on Rai1 at 12.20pm on New Year’s Day and will then be broadcast again on Rai5 at 9.20pm and then again on Rai5 on Wednesday 3 January 2026 at 8.00am, while the concert on Thursday 1 January 2026 will be broadcast in full on Rai Radio3 again on Thursday 1 January 2026 at 8.30pm.
Here is the detail of the musical program. In the first part Michele Mariotti will conduct the Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice in the performance of symphonies and orchestral interludes taken from the lyrical repertoire, pages that will certainly have an impact on the public: from the symphony of the Semiramis by Gioachino Rossini to that from Norma by Bellini; from the intermezzo of Pietro Mascagni to the impetuous Tregenda from Puccini’s first opera, The Villi; from the symphony of Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti at the Sinfonia dai Sicilian Vespers by Giuseppe Verdi.
The second part will also involve the soloists, the soprano Rosa Feola and the tenor Jonathan Tetelman, together with the Choir of the Teatro La Fenice instructed by Alfonso Caiani: it will in fact be the Venetian team that will open the second part of the evening with the interpretation of the choir «Feste! Bread! Parties!” from the Mona Lisa by Amilcare Ponchielli, with Emanuele Pedrini as Barnaba; while after the Barcaroll from Silvano by Mascagni, the soloists will perform two exciting bravura pieces: Rosa Feola will perform «Sombre forêt», Matilde’s aria from the second act of Guglielmo Tell by Rossini; Jonathan Tetelman will instead sing «Cielo e mar», Enzo Grimaldo’s aria again from Dalla Mona Lisa by Ponchielli. Two numbers from the following will follow Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini: the evocative ‘closed mouth chorus’ and the ‘romantic’ duet by Mimì and Rodolfo «O soave fanciulla». The interlude of Rustic cavalry by Mascagni will introduce the grand finale of the program with pieces that perhaps do not need any introduction: «Nessun dorma» from Turandot by Puccini, «Casta diva» from Norma by Bellini; and then «Go, thought, on the golden wings» from Nabucco by Verdi; finally the toast «Libiam ne ‘lie goblets» from Traviata by Verdi.
Tickets for the New Year’s Concerts in Fenice (from €25.00 to €500.00) can be purchased at the ticket office of the Teatro La Fenice and at Eventi Venezia Unica sales points, via telephone ticket office (+39 041 2722699) and ticket office online are www.teatrolafenice.it.
