Giuliana Zanoni has been appointed Artistic Director of the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (OSI) and Music Curator of LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura. Trained at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana and with an international career that has led her to hold prominent positions at La Scala in Milan and the Washington National Opera, Zanoni assumes this new dual role following a selection process organized by LAC and the Fondazione per l’Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (FOSI). The decision was based on her professional expertise and the quality of the artistic project she presented, which was deemed to best align with the objectives of the mandate and the development prospects of the two institutions.
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, together with the Fondazione dell’Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (FOSI), announces the appointment of Giuliana Zanoni to the new combined position of Artistic Director of the OSI and Music Curator of the LAC, following a selection process initiated through a call for expressions of interest. The selection process reviewed 54 applications, many of which came from abroad. The decision was approved by the governing bodies of both institutions. The selection committee, composed of representatives from both institutions, recognized Zanoni’s application—and in particular the quality of the artistic and strategic vision she presented—as the most compelling proposal and the one best aligned with the objectives of the position.
This new joint OSI-LAC position marks the beginning of a new phase of collaboration between two institutions central to the region’s cultural life. Zanoni’s appointment is part of an effort to strengthen the artistic and institutional ties between the OSI—the LAC’s resident orchestra—and the Lugano cultural center. The goal is to strengthen coordination between the OSI’s artistic direction and the LAC’s musical curation, leveraging the expertise and responsibilities of each organization and developing their potential from a long-term perspective: on the one hand, the orchestra’s artistic distinctiveness; on the other, the cultural center’s multidisciplinary focus—to build an increasingly integrated, recognizable, and ambitious musical vision for Lugano and Italian-speaking Switzerland.
Giuliana Zanoni takes on this role following a professional career spanning Europe and the United States, which led her to assume positions of increasing responsibility at La Scala in Milan and the Washington National Opera, where, until last August, she served as Director of Music Operations & Artistic Administrator, with responsibilities in musical operations, orchestra management, artistic planning, and the coordination of production activities, including direct oversight of the budget, scheduling, and contractual relationships. At the same institution, she had served as Senior Manager of Artistic Planning & Operations since 2023.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Communication from the University of Eastern Piedmont, two Master of Arts degrees in Oboe Performance from the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana and the Guido Cantelli Conservatory in Novara, and a Master’s degree in Performing Arts Management from the Polytechnic University of Milan and the Accademia Teatro alla Scala. Her experience thus combines a solid musical education with expertise in artistic planning, orchestral management, and the administration of complex production structures—skills developed through direct involvement with some of the world’s leading international musical institutions.
At the heart of the project presented by Zanoni is the creation of an integrated musical system in which artistic quality, sustainable production, and audience development work together to define a recognizable cultural strategy. For the OSI, the main priorities include strengthening the orchestra’s interpretive identity, implementing a multi-year repertoire plan, and establishing a more extensive presence throughout Italian-speaking Switzerland, including through the promotion of chamber ensembles and activities aimed at younger generations. For the LAC, in the area of musical curation, the project proposes to consolidate and develop the existing approach, with a program open to the diverse languages of contemporary art, major international guest performances, and dialogue with other artistic disciplines. Of particular importance is the operational aspect of the proposal, based on coordinated programming, the development of shared projects, and a systematic evaluation of artistic, economic, and audience engagement outcomes.
With this appointment, the OSI and the LAC aim to further strengthen a collaboration that recognizes the OSI as a musical institution deeply rooted in the local community and the LAC as a center for cultural production and dissemination of growing national and international significance.
Giuliana Zanoni will assume her new joint position on November 1, 2026, and, with regard to FOSI, will work alongside Barbara Widmer until the end of 2026.
