New Music in Lugano

LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, together with the Foundation of the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (FOSI), has appointed Giuliana Zanoni as Artistic Director of the OSI and Music Curator of the LAC, following a selection process launched through a call for expressions of interest. “The selection process considered 54 applications, many of them from abroad. The appointment was approved by the relevant governing bodies of both institutions. The selection committee, composed of representatives from the two institutions, identified Zanoni’s application—and, in particular, the quality of the artistic and strategic vision she presented—as the most compelling proposal and the one best suited to the objectives of the role,” a press release states. “The new joint OSI–LAC appointment marks the beginning of a new phase of collaboration between two key institutions in the region’s cultural life. Zanoni’s appointment is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen artistic and institutional ties between the OSI, the resident orchestra at the LAC, and Lugano’s cultural centre. The aim is to strengthen coordination between the OSI’s artistic direction and the LAC’s music curation, recognising the expertise and responsibilities of each institution while developing their potential over the long term. This means preserving the orchestra’s distinctive artistic identity while embracing the cultural centre’s multidisciplinary mission, with the goal of building an increasingly integrated, distinctive and ambitious musical vision for Lugano and Italian-speaking Switzerland”. Giuliana Zanoni holds a degree in Philosophy and Communication from the University of Eastern Piedmont and is a musician who pursued advanced studies at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana. She takes up the new role after developing her professional career across Europe and the United States, where she held positions of increasing responsibility at Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Washington National Opera. Until last August, she served as Director of Music Operations & Artistic Administrator at the Washington National Opera, overseeing music operations, orchestra management, artistic planning and the coordination of production activities, with direct responsibility for budgeting, planning and contractual relations.