About

The Leone Magiera Foundation is a non-profit organisation established in 2025 with the aim of promoting the artistic legacy of Leone Magiera and working in the fields of the visual, performing and musical arts through an interdisciplinary approach.

Leone Magiera was a pianist, conductor and theatre director, a conservatoire lecturer, a mentor to young talent, and a writer. A central figure in the Modena school of opera singing, he was the personal tutor of Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni and collaborated with numerous leading figures on the international opera scene, including Herbert von Karajan.

He is currently Honorary President of the Teatro Comunale Claudio Abbado in Ferrara.

The Foundation is the evolution of a journey that began in 2022 as an Association, established to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of Leone Magiera’s debut.

Mission

Building on Leone Magiera's commitment to teaching classical music, which was instrumental in the creation of a singing school in Modena that produced stars such as Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni, the Leone Magiera Foundation aims to promote young talents in the fields of opera, classical music and visual arts through a programme of cultural events in Italy and around the world.

The Fondazione aims to take a critical look at the opera repertoire and bring it into dialogue with the present, seeking synergy with contemporary visual production. It is committed to building connections between different practices, artists and audiences, in order to participate in the development of contemporary imaginaries and determine a new futurability for the tradition of opera.

The objective of Leone Magiera Foundation is to facilitate access to the arts, through a programme of free cultural events and through periodic awards aimed at supporting the younger generations of performers and artists.

Every activity of the Leone Magiera Foundation is in memory of the beloved Alberto Russo (1997-2024), whose legacy of thought inspires the direction of the Fondazione, for which he has been a founding force.