NABA Students Design Gala Dinner for La Scala's Season Premiere

The new season at Milan's Teatro alla Scala kicked off on December 7, 2024, featuring Giuseppe Verdi's La Forza del Destino. The Prima Diffusa initiative spread opera throughout the city via concerts, screenings, and performances. A gala dinner was held at the Società del Giardino, blending art, music, and cuisine. Chef Andrea Aprea from Fondazione Rovati crafted a Verdi-inspired menu. Six students from NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti di Milano's Scenography program—Marta Denna, Martina De Michelis, Gloria Friso, Emanuele Francolini, Fili Trevisan, and Peng Zyan—designed the decorations. Desire Demolli, a former NABA student now with Café Scala Milano, coordinated the project with young people from Locanda alla Mano di Milano. The design was influenced by Andrea Appiani's 1811 painting Il Parnaso, showcasing a color palette of silver flowers and candelabras. Salvatore Quartulli, general director of Caffé Scala, emphasized their 33-year tradition of linking the gala to the opera, treating the table as a stage. A dedicated team of seven maîtres, sixty waiters, thirty sommeliers, and ten movers catered to over 550 guests.