The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the stable facilities of the Teatro Colón She arrived full of pride, but also of pent-up tension. The celebration, which was supposed to take place on May 25th, was postponed to December 30th It was announced for months that the conclusion of the 100th anniversary would be a concert with Charles Dutoit and Martha Argerich. This project failed and was replaced by a gala directed by Beatrice Venezi, a decision which, according to a musician from the Stable Orchestra, “did not live up to what the 100th anniversary deserved”. Your statements, like those of many colleagues, remain anonymous to prevent personalization of collective suggestions..
The unrest intensified after a video was circulated on the networks in which the Director General, Gerardo GriecoHe spoke to subscribers about alleged confrontations between the orchestra, choir and ballet, about an “impedance machine” with practices and customs that would make work difficult. According to the musicians, the statements were not only inaccurate, but also made the artistic committees responsible for structural problems. Apologies made later in a smaller meeting with some soloists were considered inadequate.
But anger does not arise from an isolated episode. Since the beginning of the year, the orchestra and choir have been warning about organizational problems, lack of availability of a rehearsal room, acoustic difficulties, cancellations and program changes that will affect the development of the season.
In a letter published in June, the orchestra expressed concern about the drastic reduction in lyric titles in 2025 and that planned for 2026: only six operas, a similar number to the pandemic years and very far from the Columbus tradition.. They point out that this policy pushes the theater towards a “multifunctional space” model and blurs its lyrical identity.
Both committees agree on the diagnosis: the opera ended up in decline. The orchestra’s interviewee attributes the imbalance to the centrality of Julio Bocca and the prioritization of ballet in terms of stage availability. This year, he emphasizes, there were as many ballet titles as opera titles, which is unprecedented in the history of the theater. The result was that several lyrical titles remained in the concert version and that the symphonic activity shifted “extramural” while the orchestra had historically prestigious cycles within Colón itself.
A member of the Stable Choir describes the 2025 season as “one of the most stunted in decades.” Next year things would get even worse for the choir: they will only take part in four of the six planned operas, a far cry from the years when the program included Verdi, Wagner, Mozart, a French title, a bel canto and a classic.
This decline is further compounded Lack of competitions: There have been none since 2019 and the choir has 20 vacancies. This throws the strings out of balance, forcing dangerous vocal strains and making it impossible to handle large tracks without endangering the singers’ health.
Both respondents also agree that a critical point needs to be clarified: the gap between outdated regulations and “customs and customs” that have never been formalized. They call for a real dialogue table to reach an updated agreement that regulates the activity without ambiguity.
The symbolic dimension of the 100th anniversary was also not free from disagreements. The proposal to set up a Stable Corps Day – to coincide with the birth of the first concertmaster, Carlos Pecina– and the idea of putting up a memorial plaque was an initiative of the musicians themselves together with a legislator, not the management.
Despite the tensions, the demands agree on one central demand: that the Teatro Colón resume a season in keeping with its history. More titles, better planning, competitions to rebuild stable assets and transparent institutional dialogue. “We want to work more, not less,” summarizes the choir member. The common wish is that the 100th anniversary is not just a symbolic conclusion, but the starting point to guarantee another hundred years of lyrical excellence.
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