Stéphane Lissner reinstated as Teatro San Carlo superintendent by Naples court

A Naples labor court has annulled the termination of Stéphane Lissner's contract as superintendent and artistic director of the Teatro San Carlo, ordering his immediate reinstatement. The decision overturns the application of a May 2023 government decree that imposed a mandatory retirement age of 70 for superintendents of lyric-symphonic foundations. Lissner, who turned 70 in 2023, was forced out in June and replaced by Carlo Fuortes, former Rai director. Judge Clara Ruggiero ruled the decree was applied "contra personam" against Lissner, calling it illegitimate. Lissner hailed the ruling as "an act of justice" and a sign of European legal standards. The case may set a precedent for upcoming museum director appointments, amid debate over foreign leadership in Italian cultural institutions. Undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi had cited the Lissner-Fuortes case as an example of discrimination against Italians, noting that foreign directors faced no age limit until the decree. The ruling could impact the tenure of Sylvain Bellenger at the Museo di Capodimonte.