From the Air to the Stage: workshops, meetings and performances on female figures in Italian Opera

Women on the stage and behind the scenes of opera at the "G. Nicolini" Conservatory in Piacenza

The enhancement of female figures in opera becomes the protagonist at the "G. Nicolini" Conservatory of Piacenza, which presents an articulated program of initiatives scheduled from May to November 2025.

The project Dall'Aria alla Scena explores the presence and role of women on the stage and behind the scenes of Italian opera, through original productions, training meetings and research activities. The goal is to restore voice, memory and visibility to the protagonists of the opera of yesterday and today.

Among the main events: Mad for Opera, a new production inspired by the female characters of melodrama; the rediscovery of Lauro Rossi's Diptych, with two operas never performed again in modern times and the creation of a database dedicated to works written by female composers of all eras.

The productions will be preceded by rehearsals open to the public, conceived as moments of dialogue and in-depth analysis: opportunities to reflect on how the revival of works from the past can offer new perspectives on the present.

Mad for opera. Therapeutic journey from Dido to Tosca, written by Stefano Valanzuolo and directed by Roberto Recchia, traces a path that digs into the female universe of opera projected into modern times, with the extraordinary participation of Pamela Villoresi (11-12 May 2025).

The rehearsal open to the public scheduled for May 5, 2025 at the "G. Nicolini" Conservatory in Piacenza also includes a training meeting entitled Thinking and interpreting Italian opera in an international context, in which Guillaume Bernardi, director and professor at York University (Canada), will speak.

Lauro  Rossi's Diptych, the first performance in modern times of the operas Lo zigaro rivale and  Un maestro e una cantante, recovers forgotten scores from the precious Giudici e Strada music archive in Turin, now housed in the Library of the Conservatory of Piacenza (18 May 2025).

On May 14, 2025, the open rehearsal is scheduled with the participation of Anthony Barrese, artistic director of Opera Southwest (Albuquerque, USA), an institution of international importance committed to the enhancement of the lesser-known operatic heritage.