La Fenice employees have been getting death threats since the storied Venice opera house said it was cutting off ties with Beatrice Venezi, the young conductor who was set to become its musical director in October, the RSU union representing them said on Tuesday.
The opera house's orchestra and staff had been protesting against Venezi's controversial appointment since it was announced last year, complaining of alleged political interference due to her alleged ties to Premier Giorgia Meloni.
Then on Sunday La Fenice Foundation Superintendent Nicola Colabianchi, a former ally of Venezi's, said he had cancelled all future collaborations with her for offending the theatre and its orchestra after she accused Italian musicians of benefitting from nepotism in an interview with Argentine newspaper La Nacion.
"The female and male workers of the Gran Teatro La Fenice have been receiving a barrage of insults and threats, including death threats, in recent days, especially on social media," the union said in a statement.
"We want to say that we have already contacted our legal department to defend ourselves from such pointless cowardliness.
