Venice opera house drops incoming music director after nepotism remarks

Venice's prestigious La Fenice opera house has sacked its incoming music director Beatrice Venezi, months before she was supposed to take up the position. In an interview with an Argentine daily, Venezi, 36, insinuated that jobs in the opera orchestra were "practically passed down from father to son", angering musicians. "I have no godfathers. That is the difference. I do not come from a family of musicians," Venezi said, adding that those who opposed her were "afraid of change, of renewal". Days after the interview was published, La Fenice announced Venezi was sacked due to "repeated and serious public statements, which were offensive and damaging to the artistic and professional standing" of the theatre and its orchestra. Venezi's appointment had been marred in controversy since it was announced last September. Many alleged that Venezi - an unusually young and relatively inexperienced director - was only given the prestigious role because of her proximity with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Venezi - the daughter of a former leader of the neo-fascist Forza Nuova party - has been working as a musical consultant for the Ministry of Culture since 2022. In October, the workers' union