Overview

• The RSU and trade unions formally called a walkout for Friday, Oct. 17, coinciding with the Wozzeck premiere, after a three-hour meeting with Superintendent Nicola Colabianchi and Mayor Luigi Brugnaro.
• Workers are demanding the revocation of Beatrice Venezi’s nomination as musical director and say any introductory engagement will only follow a prior withdrawal of the appointment.
• Mayor Brugnaro backs the choice as an investment in a 35-year-old conductor, noting the superintendent acknowledged procedural errors in a letter while retaining his confidence.
• Management reports only a handful of subscription cancellations so far, as unions also schedule a 6 p.m. public assembly on Oct. 17 open to supporters from other cultural institutions.
• Venezi was named on Sept. 22 to a role slated to take effect in Oct. 2026, and the announced strike puts the season-closing premiere at risk.