Michele Dall’Ongaro appointed new president

‘Michele Dall’Ongaro is the new president of the Rossini Opera Festival.’ The announcement was made by the mayor of Pesaro, Andrea Biancani, who formalised the new appointment in accordance with the Foundation’s Statute, after communicating it to both the Board of Directors and the shareholders’ meeting. A composer, pianist, teacher and cultural manager, he was President and Superintendent of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, one of the most prestigious musical institutions in the world, a position he held from 2015 to February 2025, succeeding Bruno Cagli. “I chose Dall’Ongaro because he is the ideal person to lead one of Europe’s most important musical institutions. He is a figure of excellence, with a long and prestigious career. His experience, sensitivity and international outlook make him the perfect person to preside over the Rossini Festival and ensure its excellence in the years to come. He arrives in Pesaro after presiding over the Rai National Symphony Orchestra in recent years and then, for ten years, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. We are confident that he will make a fundamental contribution to the future development of the event, which represents an extraordinary cultural driving force and part of Pesaro’s identity. Dall’Ongaro’s appointment is unpaid, meaning he will not receive any remuneration.

The mayor and deputy mayor Daniele Vimini continue: “The Rossini Opera Festival is a cultural showcase of the highest level for the city. We have just left behind a particularly significant edition of the ROF, which in August 2025 welcomed over 15,000 spectators from all over the world. A few months ago, we launched a clear idea for the future: Pesaro must transform itself into a large open-air stage, where citizens and visitors can breathe music, culture and beauty under the direction of the ROF.” The mayor then went on to recall the project to create a widespread urban setting, modelled on Salzburg with Mozart, which would make Pesaro immediately recognisable as the city of Rossini throughout the Festival. ‘In recent days, together with Deputy Mayor Vimini, we met Michele Dall’Ongaro, and his idea for the ROF is perfectly in line with the path we are building, a driving force of beauty and participation in the heart of the city centre overlooking the sea’.

Amazement, wonder, surprise and great emotion. These are Michele Dall’Ongaro’s first words: ‘Infinite pride. I have been attending the Rossini Opera Festival since the days of Zedda and Mariotti, and I have covered it for Rai. It is one of the most sought-after festivals abroad, an event that fills those involved in music with joy, and an entire city that hosts the world of Rossini, a great genius.’

Published in : 15 November 2025