A PERSPECTIVE ON THE OPERA AUDIENCE OF THE 21ST CENTURY

When it comes to contemporary audience of the opera, we have in mind a multitude of individuals with extremely diverse and heterogeneous cultural backgrounds, very different tastes and expectations related to the show and to the artists who perform on stage. Perhaps the famous Italian loggionisti who once made up the dreaded galleries, although still present, are no longer as influential as in the past centuries; and the splendid euphoria of the opera lovers from the 1950s and 1960s has faded. The extremely refined and knowledgeable elite is also becoming less numerous. But Opera still incites the interest of the public and arouses passions at the same time. Who is today's audience and what makes them attend and influence the Opera show? What are the managerial strategies for attracting new audience to the auditorium? The social distancing and the restricted access of the public in the performance halls during the recent coronavirus pandemic is also highlighted in the article.