Board of Directors

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ABOUT US
Overview The O.M.E.G.A. Association (Orchestra Musica Europea e Gruppi Associati) of Florence was established in 2004 with the aim of spreading music and engaging an increasingly broad audience of listeners. Institutional Collaborations The association collaborates with various public entities, municipalities, institutions, and cultural associations: Municipality of Florence: Collaborates on festivals and concerts in city spaces, including events at Palazzo Medici Riccardi, the Limonaia of Villa Strozzi, and the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata. Municipality of Prato: Organizes concerts and musical cycles in historical locations such as the Cathedral of Prato, the Church of San Domenico, and the Oratory of San Sebastiano. Municipality of Campi Bisenzio: Promotes shows and opera/symphonic seasons in collaboration with Teatrodante. Municipality of Carmignano (Artimino): Stages prominent opera productions, such as the performance of La Traviata at Villa La Ferdinanda in Artimino. Municipality of Pietrasanta: Collaborates on summer concerts and operas in Piazza Duomo. Municipality of Rosignano Marittimo (Castiglioncello): Organizes musical events and shows at Castello Pasquini. Animando Association (Lucca): Collaborates on festivals dedicated to Lucca's musical heritage (such as the Oltre le Prospettive project) with the Nuova Europa Orchestra. Leadership & Major Venues From its foundation in 2004 until 2014, the association was presided over by the renowned Florentine musicologist Cesare Orselli, a collaborator with major Italian musical institutions (RAI, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Accademia Chigiana Siena, Teatro Regio of Turin, Carlo Felice of Genoa, La Scala of Milan, Verdi of Trieste, Comunale of Bologna, etc.). Under his supervision and that of artistic director Alan Freiles Magnatta, the Association has produced six editions of the "Omega Opera Festival" and numerous seasons of symphonic, symphonic-choral, and chamber concerts held in venues such as: In Florence: Auditorium S. Stefano al Ponte Vecchio, Villa Bardini, Forte Belvedere, Salone dei '500 in Palazzo Vecchio, Basilicas of S. Maria Novella, SS. Annunziata, and S. Spirito, Piazza S. Croce, Auditorium of the CR Foundation in Via Folco Portinari, and the 1 Oratory of Music in S. Filippo Neri. In Pisa: Teatro Verdi (staging of the opera in the repertoire Pinocchio by Natalia Valli). In Siena: Teatro dei Rinnovati. In Arezzo: Teatro Petrarca. In Forte dei Marmi: Villa Bertelli. In Prato: The Cathedral, the Medici Villa of Artimino (Unesco Heritage site), Castello dell'Imperatore, Pecci Museum Amphitheater, and Corte delle Sculture. In Montecatini: Teatro Verdi. Other Theaters: Niccolini in S. Casciano Val di Pesa, Garibaldi in Figline Valdarno, Buondelmonti in Impruneta, del Popolo in Castelfiorentino, Giotto in Borgo S. Lorenzo, etc., in addition to numerous churches and squares in Tuscan municipalities. The association has also collaborated on numerous events organized in Liguria, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy. Long-Standing Collaboration:  An important and long-standing collaboration exists with the Teatro Dante in Campi Bisenzio (now Teatrodante Carlo Monni): OMEGA inaugurated the renovated theater in 2008 and its orchestra pit with La Traviata. OMEGA staged La Bohème with the winners of the 1st Illica Opera Competition, directed by the renowned local citizen Rolando Panerai (who shared the stage many times with Maria Callas). Panerai performed here one of his final times in a concert organized by Omega to celebrate the Anniversary of the Unification of Italy. Featured Artists & Young Talents The primary artists involved in OMEGA productions include: Conductors: Dejan Savic (principal conductor of the Belgrade Opera House), Tulio Gagliardo (principal conductor of the Izmir State Opera and Ballet, Turkey), Grigor Palikarov (chief conductor of the Varna Opera House, Bulgaria), Valerio Galli, Stefano Romani, Alberto Veronesi, Franck Chastrusse Colombier, Simone Marziali. Directors: Vivien Hewitt (long-time collaborator with the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago), Alberto Paloscia (former artistic director of the Goldoni Theater in Livorno), Dejan Proshev, Gabriella Ravazzi, Maria Elena Mexìa, Marcello Lippi. Sopranos: Susanna Rigacci (the "official voice" of Ennio Morricone), Dimitra Theodossiou, Laura Montoro Baritones: Alberto Gazale, Sergio Bologna. Tenors: Giorgio Casciarri, Ignacio Encinas. 2 Guitarist: Flavio Cucchi. Pianists: Michelangelo Gagliano, Giuseppe Tavanti. Ensemble: MDI Ensemble. OMEGA has also given young talents the opportunity to perform, such as pianist Stefano Scalise (performing Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 with orchestra at Teatrodante Carlo Monni) and violinists Leone Pini and Benedetta Mignani during the seasons at Villa Bertelli in Forte dei Marmi. Competitions & Special Events Pop Opera: The modern pop opera The Fisherman and His Soul (Il Pescatore e la sua Anima) by composer Minko Lambov, inspired by Oscar Wilde’s tale. This project has been financed by the European Union. Opera Competitions: Three editions of the O.M.E.G.A. Opera Competition have been held, launching singers who are now leading figures in the opera world, such as tenor Amadi Lagha and soprano Valentina Boi. The presidencies of the competitions were entrusted to Giovanna Lomazzi (2013), Bruna Baglioni (2014), and Francesco Ernani (2015). Historical Events: On the 20th anniversary of the Via dei Georgofili bombing, OMEGA was invited to perform the opera Tosca in the Salone dei '500 in Palazzo Vecchio in the presence of Senate President Grasso and Minister of Education Carrozza. World Premieres: The Association has commissioned and performed world premieres by composers such as Cesare Valentini, Bruno Rigacci, students of the Lizard school (film music composition project), and Andrea Portera with his composition students from the Fiesole School of Music. Media & Partnerships: Performances are frequently reviewed by the national press and RAI. New Year's concerts have regularly partnered with dance schools across Tuscany. Grants & Special Projects: The association has won grants from the Tuscany Region, Regional Council of Tuscany, Prato Estate, and Estate Fiorentina, staging original productions such as De André's La Buona Novella (transcribed by Silvano Pieruccini) and Orff's Carmina Burana (fully staged). 2025 Jubilee Project: In collaboration with the Diocese of Prato, the Puccini International Opera Composition Academy, the Missionary Office of the Diocese of Lucca, Amani Nyayo of Lucca, and the Hortus Concentus Choir of Prato, Omega launched a project for the 2025 Jubilee to engage youth in spiritual and artistic reflection. This included an international composition competition in November 2025, culminating in a concert at the Prato Cathedral titled "Various Aspects of the Sacred." Repertoire Operatic Repertoire Performed multiple times by the "Nuova Europa" Orchestra: 3 Aida, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Bohème, Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana, Don Giovanni, Don Pasquale, L'Elisir d'Amore, La Tragédie de Carmen, Madama Butterfly, Nabucco, Le Nozze di Figaro, Pagliacci, Rigoletto, La Traviata, Un Ballo in Maschera, Turandot, Il Trovatore, Tosca. Instrumental Repertoire Compositions performed from the following authors: Bach, Bartók, Beethoven, Bellini, Bizet, Boccherini, Brahms, Britten, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Corelli, Dvořák, Elgar, Fauré, Gounod, Grieg, Handel, Haydn, Mascagni, Massenet, Mendelssohn, Miserachs, Mozart, Offenbach, Prokofiev, Pärt, Ravel, Rigacci, Rossini, Rodrigo, Satie, Schoenberg, Sibelius, Suppé, J. Strauss, Stravinsky, Vivaldi, and Wagner. The President Alan Freiles Magnatta Mob.+39 3295491546 4