Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano

The Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, composed of around 135 musicians, is recognized as one of the world’s leading opera orchestras and has also earned international prestige for its symphonic work. Its distinctive, “Scaligero” sound combines homogeneity, flexibility, and a richness derived from the quick responsiveness required in the operatic theater. The orchestra’s history of great conductors began with Alberto Mazzucato in 1854 and includes Franco Faccio, Leopoldo Mugnone, Edoardo Mascheroni, and Arturo Toscanini, who transformed La Scala from a private theater into an autonomous institution. Over the decades, maestros such as Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, Guido Cantelli, Leonard Bernstein, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Carlo Maria Giulini, Carlos Kleiber, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim, and Riccardo Chailly have further cemented its international reputation. Since 1983, the establishment of the Filarmonica della Scala as an autonomous ensemble has expanded the orchestra’s symphonic repertoire, international engagements, and roster of conductors, ensuring the continued excellence of its unique operatic and symphonic sound.