The “Amici della Scala” Association (“La Scala’s Friends”) is the oldest association of supporters of an opera house in Italy (1978). Since 2001, they have been based in the Palazzo Serbelloni in Milan. They promote music, art and culture in Milan, in the Lombardy region and in several Italian cities. The Teatro alla Scala is their main and constant point of reference.

Thanks to their international relations and friendships, Amici della Scala suggest and engage in new activities and cultural productions, which they adjust over the years according to the situation and objectives. In 1998, twenty years after their foundation, Amici della Scala received the culture award from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Numerous initiatives of Amici della Scala have received the High Patronage of the President of the Republic, of the European Parliament and of Italian ministers.  

Amongst the activities of the Amici della Scala are:

• Scholarships for young talents, in particular for those coming from the Teatro alla Scala;
• Gifts of musical instruments to young soloists;
• Welcoming activities and celebrations of Italian and foreign artists
• Conferences, congresses, presentations, meetings at the Teatro alla Scala, in their offices or at the Palazzo Reale of Milan, as well as in other Italian cities;
• several series of lectures and show-conferences on operas programmed at the Teatro alla Scala, taking place in their offices, at the Teatro Filodrammatici, in the Palazzo Reale and, from 2006-2007, again in the boxes foyer of the Teatro alla Scala.
• restoration, classification, publishing and filing of a large number of set models and costume sketches of the Teatro alla Scala;
• Gift to the Teatro alla Scala of set models and costume sketches, showcases and special shelves for the artistic archives;
• 18 exhibitions of set models and costume sketches of La Scala, at the Teatro alla Scala, the Theatre Museum, the Pinacoteca di Brera, and in other Italian cities;
• Around 70 publications including books, catalogues, conference proceedings, magazines. These are inexpensive books, studies, illustrated books and books for bibliophiles, mainly concerning topics directly related to the Teatro alla Scala. Among these publications, it is worth noting the series “Le capitali della musica”, which has been published since 1985 as a contribution of Amici della Scala to the European Year of Music;
• Adaptation of the ground floor rooms of the Museo Teatrale alla Scala in the temporary location of the Palazzo Busca;
• Suppor, thanks to sponsor companies, of the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, since its foundation.
• In 2004-2006, the Amici della Scala celebrated the return of the Theatre to the heart of Milan. They organized an international event, under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, and under the aegis of the European Parliament, the Ministry for Cultural Heritage, the Region, the Province and the Municipality of Milan. The initiative was attended by 239 cultural and artistic institutions, from 150 cities in five continents, which symbolically dedicated almost 120 of their productions to the Teatro alla Scala including plays, concerts, openings of academic years, conferences, guided tours, special exhibitions, restorations and art exhibitions specially planned on the occasion. Today the Amici della Scala would like to open this international project to new institutions to interact in cultural projects and programmes also through internet:
• Twenty monographic volumes on the great scenographers at La Scala (four per year since 2002): Burri, Edel, Ponti, Tosi, Foujita, Hockney, Svoboda, Usellini, Galliari, Picasso, Ratto, Wilson, Ceroli, Fini, Rota, Wakhevitch, Buzzati, Luzzati, Malclès, Marini;
• In November 2006 in the boxes foyer presentation of  “Zeffirelli alla Scala”, the book by Vittoria Crespi Morbio that the Amici together with the Theatre dedicate to the great artist to pay him honour on the occasion of his production of Aida that opened the 2006-2007 Season;
• “Prima delle Prime” in the boxes foyer (“Before the Premieres”)
  The “Prima delle Prime” meetings take place in the boxes foyer with the sponsorship of Banca Mediolanum. Furthermore, six 55-minute television programmes will be recorded by Mediolanum channel that will produce them in collaboration with La Scala and the Amici della Scala, as well as a series of six DVDs, to enrich further the La Scala heritage

Contact:
[email protected]
www.amicidellascala.it