The interview of the month

Can you tell us about your professional experience before joining Rof?

I first obtained a diploma in accountancy and commerce at the ITC in Cagli and then a certificate in PC programming, followed by an internship in a high-tech telecommunications company.
I immediately began to gain professional experience in various companies in both the private and public sectors in the areas of administration, accounting and purchasing management.
Among these professional experiences, the one I remember with the greatest pleasure, and which allowed me to get closer to the world of culture and art, was the activity I carried out at Franca Mancini’s art gallery.
In this environment I had the good fortune to meet music critics, writers, directors and famous artists such as Bruno Cagli, Philippe Daverio, Dario Fo, Umberto Eco, Ermanno Olmi and Eliseo Mattiacci, who regularly visited the gallery.
I lived those years with great excitement and satisfaction in my work.
My passion for classical music, on the other hand, was born during my work in a concert organisation, where I was in charge of the accounts and the preparation of the budgets to be processed and sent to the Ministry of Performances.
Every professional experience I have had has enriched and changed me in some way, and this wealth of experience gained over the years has contributed to the positive assessment of my entry into the ROF.

What was your first contact with the Festival?

My first contact with the world of the Rossini Opera Festival was at the ‘Galleria Mancini’.
In fact, the owner of the eponymous gallery, whom I remember with great affection, was collaborating with the ROF at the time – we are talking about the early 2000s.
Mrs Mancini had founded the cultural association ‘Il Teatro degli Artisti’, which maintained cultural relations with the Festival through annual exhibitions entitled ‘Les Rencontres Rossiniennes’.

Could you tell us about your work at the Rof?

I am in charge of both the Tender Office, which is responsible for purchasing goods and services to carry out the Foundation’s activities, and the Technical Department, which is responsible for purchasing the necessary equipment to carry out the scenographic part of the performances, as well as coordinating the activities of workers such as set designers, stagehands, electricians, prop-makers, seamstresses, hairdressers and make-up artists.
These activities oblige me to keep up to date with the regulations of the sector, which are constantly evolving, and this encourages me to study them carefully so that my work can meet the artistic/technical demands, which are always urgent, while respecting the rules.
My experience in this field led me to enrol at the Carlo Bo University in Urbino, where I graduated. My thesis, which I wrote with the Professor of Administrative Law, dealt with issues related to the acquisition of goods and services in organisations that carry out entertainment activities.
Even though the festival is seasonal and the performances take place mainly in August, there is a lot of preparatory work to be done; in fact, as soon as one festival is over, it is necessary to start preparing for the next one.
The teams of technicians needed to stage the works are organised and tenders are invited for the purchase of all the necessary equipment.
The material is processed and assembled by the expert hands of our highly professional workers.

What is your favourite memory of your experience at the ROF?

In the years before I joined the ROF, I had already been fortunate enough to see several works produced that had particularly fascinated me.
But it is the work I am doing that has given me the opportunity to appreciate the performances with deep feelings, because the feelings I have experienced stem from an awareness of the enormous amount of preparatory work behind the scenes and in the festival workshops.
It is exciting to see the passion and professionalism of the directors, singers, set and costume designers and all those who work together to bring the performances to life.
In this regard, I am reminded of a quote by Victor Hugo that really struck me when he said, from memory, that the theatre is not the land of reality because there are cardboard trees and canvas palaces, but it is the land of truth because there are human hearts behind the scenes, in the auditorium and on the stage.
All this makes me appreciate even more the wonderful music of Maestro Rossini.
I am proud to work in this environment and I thank my colleagues for their collaboration and daily commitment, which allow us to achieve the excellent results that only a close-knit group can achieve.

 

 

Published in : 20 May 2024