Teatro Sociale di Como is a focal point for the cultural life of the area. It attracts opera fans in particular from a large triangle whose corners are formed by Varese, Lecco and Switzerland. Since 1 January 2002, the performances and all the opera house’s activities have been managed by AsLiCo (Opera Concert Association) of Milan, while the building is owned by the Gallery Ticket Holders’ Society.
Teatro Sociale was founded in 1813, the year Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner were born. It was built in an area known as the “place of ruins” because it was the site of the Castle of the Round Tower, dating from the second half of the thirteenth century.
Following bomb damage in 1943, La Scala was temporarily relocated to Teatro Sociale. This joint venture brought the greatest performers of the period to Como. All the greatest singers and conductors, from Toscanini to Muti, have performed at the Teatro Sociale. It was an important venue: the greatest composers gave much importance to the opinion of the cultured Como public and frequently attended the performances of their operas. In November 1906, Mascagni conducted the second performance of Amica and police intervention was necessary to keep the crowd under control and oversee entry to the building.
Founded in Milan in 1949 by Cavaliere Giovanni Treccani degli Alfieri, AsLiCo (Opera Concert Association) was established with the aim of “paving the way for young students with sufficient natural talent for experimental theatre”. Having consolidated itself over the years, AsLiCo promotes numerous ventures and projects aimed at the training of young performers, offering them important opportunities for work and growth. In 2001 AsLiCo established its headquarters at the Teatro Sociale and started managing all the artistic activities of the historic Como opera house. These are funded by various authorities (Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, Region of Lombardy, Province and Municipality of Como) as well as the local and regional press. Many activities are scheduled during the year, ranging from opera to prose and including dance, musicals and concerts, without forgetting shows for children and families. The opera house has a programme for schools, devised for all levels, which involves approximately 5,000 students and 250 teachers in the city and province of Como.

Teatro Sociale di Como vaunts an extremely varied programme of top-level events. Classical and modern dance performances by international companies, symphonic concerts conducted by top names, Italian and international pop music concerts, and of course opera, all ensure that the Teatro Sociale is one of the attractions that make Lake Como a magnet for cultural tourism.

THE 200.COM PROJECT
200.Com is the acronym born to celebrate the 200 years of Teatro Sociale di Como together with an event which would engage the entire city, put into effect by ‘Carmina Burana’, which is a show produced in 2013 with a union of great professionalism and 300 normal citizens.
After the thrilling success met with ‘Carmina Burana’, the project 200.Com, in cooperation with the ‘Società dei Palchettisti’, has continued playing the opening title of the Festival Como Città della Musica every year. In this way, in 2014, under the guidance of José Luis Gomez-Rios, the citizens of Como and nearby could participate to ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ with the direction of Serena Sinigallia.

The following edition staged ‘Pagliacci’ of Ruggero Leoncavallo, thanks to the support of Intesa Sanpaolo, and was guided by Carlo Goldstein for the direction of Michal Znaniecki. This participated play was such a success that it received the attention of the critique. Indeed, the following year, the 200.Com project was one of the winners of the ‘Premio della critica musicale Franco Abbiati’ and was awarded a ‘Filippo Siebaneck’ prize for the quality of this across-the-board project which is open to the entire city.In 2016, the choristers, guided by Rosetta Cucchi, take part to ‘L’Elisir d’amore’, directed by Jacopo Rivani.
This year’s Festival Como Città della Musica 2017, reaching now its 10th edition, will be opened by ‘Nabucco’ of Giuseppe Verdi, one of the most known choral plays.
This is the title chosen for 200.Com. A project for the city, that is the participated play of the Teatro Sociale of Como-AsLiCo. A project that has reached its 5th edition, born to celebrate the theatre’s bicentenary, to actively engage the public and the city, which becomes co-star of highly ranked artistic productions.
The play interests the ‘citizen’ chorists who from October, after facing auditions, will follow an intense course of studying and rehearsals in order to prepare for the three performances staged at the Arena in the evenings of the 29th June, 1st July and 4th July.Verdi’s play will take place in a urban and contemporary context to fully investigate the current confli

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