About

LAC is a strong institution and an important part in the social fabric of the city. With its international standing yet its community engagement, the cultural center is a stage for performing arts, music, and visual arts.

Founded in Lugano in 2015, LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura is a multidisciplinary cultural center meant to host different artistic disciplines. In a short time, it has deeply changed the city, becoming a cultural benchmark for the national and international public.

LAC produces the performing art, theater, dance and music season, and the classical music programme is to be involved from 2024. The resident Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana and Compagnia Finzi Pasca enrich the cultural offerings together with the rich exhibition schedule curated by Museo d’Arte della Svizzera Italiana.

LAC stands out for its social commitment and community involvement, promoting follow-up meeting, debates and cultural initiatives accessible to everyone, as well as offering a wide educational program handled by LAC edu, which presents hundreds activities intended to assist public of all ages, and particularly visitors with disability, in approaching and understanding art and culture.

Purpose
To bring to life a project that transforms the city, contributes to people's well-being and includes Lugano in the international cultural network.

Mission
To develop an interdiscliplinary arts center that creates productions, collaborations and proposals for a variety of audiences.

Vision
To believe in the contribution of the arts and participation to the development of critical thinking and an open society.

General Director

Michel Gagnon Direttore generale

Michel Gagnon

Artistic Directors

Carmelo Rifici Direttore artistico Arti performative

Carmelo Rifici Performing Arts

With a degree in Literature, he graduated from the Scuola dello Stabile in Turin and was assistant director to Luca Ronconi on Progetto Domani, a theatrical event that was part of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, as well as on several shows. He has directed dozens of works for the Napoli Teatro Festival, Piccolo Teatro in Milano, INDA Siracusa, Teatro Due in Parma, Ponchielli in Cremona, and Circuito Lirico Lombardo. Since 2014, he has been the artistic director of LuganoInScena, where he has directed The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, Ifigenia, liberata by Rifici-Dematté, Purgatorio by Ariel Dorfman, The Barber of Seville by Rossini, Avevo un bel pallone rosso by Angela Dematté, and I Cenci by Giorgio Battistelli, which was on the bill of the Venice Biennale Musica and the Reggio Emilia Festival Aperto in 2020. In 2019, he directed Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Ravel's L'heure espagnole at the Teatro Grande in Brescia. Since 2020, he has been the artistic director of LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, for which he designed and directed Macbeth, le cose nascoste, which he also co-wrote with Dematté; Le relazioni pericolose, written with Livia Rossi; Verdi’s La traviata directed by Markus Poschner; Processo Galileo, co-directed with Andrea De Rosa; Ulisse Artico, a co-production with the Teatro Biondo in Palermo; Anna Bolena by Gaetano Donizetti directed by Diego Fasolis; and La pulce nell'orecchio, for which he handled the translation, adaptation, and dramaturgy in collaboration with Tindaro Granata. In 2024, he directed De Gasperi: l’Europa brucia, written by Angela Dematté. Since 2015, he has been running the "Luca Ronconi" Theatre School at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan. In 2005, he won the Critics' Award for best up-and-coming director (2005) and in 2009, he received the Eti Olimpici del Teatro Director of the Year Award. He has also won the Critics' Award and the Golden Graal and been nominated for the Ubu Director of the Year Award. He received the Enriquez Award for the theatrical season of LuganoInScena (2015) and for the direction of Ifigenia, liberata (2017), as well as the “I Numeri Uno” award from the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland for his work at the LAC (2019). In 2021, he was awarded the title of Master by the Radicondoli Theatre Award, as well as receiving the Hystrio Digital Stage Award and the special Ubu Award for the digital project Lingua Madre. Capsule per il futuro, conceived in collaboration with Paola Tripoli. In 2022, he was among the finalists for the “Ivo Chiesa – Una vita per il teatro” International Award in the "School" category. In September 2024, he was awarded the "Premio Hystrio" for Directing.

Andrea Amarante Direttore artistico Musica

Andrea Amarante Music