With a ceremony at the Teatro Colón, music by the Camerata Bariloche by Néstor Marconi and a full house, the Head of Government, Jorge Macriintroduced the new team of directors headed by Gerardo Grieco, Julio Bocca and Andrés Rodríguez.
“Having recovered Julio Bocca is an infinite source of pride for me. That he has the chance to be where he needs to be fills me with emotion, because it is true, his story did not end as it should have ended, and today we show that it did not end, that he has so much to give and this theater still has so much to challenge him. ”said the Head of Government, together with the Minister of Culture, Gabriela Ricardes.
The Colón is one of the most prestigious theaters in the world and the incorporation of new directors, recognized for their talent and career, once again places it in a place of excellence. Julio Bocca, the former dancer and teacher, is the Director of the Ballet; Gerardo Grieco, a Uruguayan cultural manager with more than thirty years of career who managed to take the Solís Theater of Montevideo to the top of culture, occupies the General Directorate, and the Chilean Andés Rodríguez, former artistic director of the prestigious Municipal Theater of Santiago from Chile, is the Opera Director.
“For me it was, is and will be a challenge, I have a lot to give back to the theater, and the theater has a lot to give back to me. “I need all the people who are going to work with me to control my dreams,” said Julio Bocca. And he added: “My idea is for ballet to travel the world, for it to be one of the best companies in the top ten.”
“It is a pride and an honor to present the entire team that will be in charge of the Teatro Colón, which marks the beginning of a new stage. This emblematic place is much more than its building and the great works that give it prestige each season. It is, above all, the excellence of its artists”stated Jorge Macri.
It was a celebration of art, and very emotional: there were more than 1,500 guests, ambassadors, businessmen and institutions, subscribers, the Theater staff, the Cabinet and Buenos Aires officials, entertainment figures and more than one hundred accredited journalists from Latin America and Europe were present. .
“This wonderful management team is going to build that bridge between the past and the future that is to come, taking care of what we have, being the center of great productions, but also taking care of our talent,” said the Minister of Culture, Gabriela Ricardes.
“For us it is a change in management model and it is not a simple change of people in the management of a theater. We will try to rescue the essence of this theater, the dream of the founders to be on par with the great capitals of the world. It is a world theater, the best in the world and today we are aware that we have the obligation to redefine that dream of the founders,” said Gerardo Grieco, the General Director, who introduced the rest of the new team.
Among other international figures that make up the new team of directors of the Colón, Zoe Zeniodi, the artistic director of “El Sistema” in Greece and former artistic director of the Concert Hall of Thessaloniki, stands out. She was selected by the Dallas Opera for the residency of the Institute of Women Conductors and is now Principal Director of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic. And Beatrice Venezi, the young conductor, one of the most appreciated in Italy, will be the new Guest Conductor.
And the new director of the Opera, Andrés Rodríguez, said: “I am infinitely honored to be able to contribute as much as possible to this immense collective work that justly makes Argentina proud. “I will put at the service of the Teatro Colón all the experience gathered throughout my 34 years of management at the Municipal Theater of Santiago.”
Maestro Néstor Marconi and the Camerata Bariloche performed compositions by Astor Piazzolla (Milonga del Ángel, Muerte del Ángel and Adiós Nonino) and then the Camerata, the Divertimento II K. 137, in B flat major, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the Symphony No. 10 in B minor, by Felix Mendelssohn.
The renovation at the Teatro Colón has as priorities the local and global recovery of the artistic offer, the promotion of access for all audiences, and also developing a management system that achieves a sustainable theater.
The new leadership provides leadership, experience and excellence. All values that enhance one objective: the decision to face challenges to always be at the forefront of culture and art, which has characterized the City since the creation of the Theater, inaugurated in 1908 and completely restored in 2010.
“We want the Argentine to enjoy with great pride how Colón represents us around the world. And we want to draw on the enormous experience of this team to raise the bar of the Theater even further. We add value to culture with more creative talent. For us, culture is not an expense, but an investment and a bet on the future”concluded the Head of Government.
Who makes up the new management team:
- General Director: Gerardo Grieco.
- Ballet Director: Julio Bocca.
- Opera Director: Andrés Rodríguez.
- Music Director: Gustavo Mozzi.
- Executive Director: Thelma Vivoni.
- Principal conductor of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic: Zoe Zeniodi.
- Guest director of the Teatro Colón: Beatrice Venezi.
- Director of Ópera Studio: Verónica Cangemi.
- Director of the Teatro Colón Choir: Miguel Martínez.
- Scenic Director: Enrique Bordolini.
- Production Director: Marcela La Salvia.
- Director of CETC and Contemporary: Martín Bauer.
- Director of the Higher Institute of Art: Marcelo Birman.
As for the 2025 season, it will be announced in the first days of December.
