Teatro Regio di Parma is renowned as one of the world’s most iconic opera houses, celebrated for the elegance of its neoclassical style, impeccable acoustics, and its historical connections to figures like Giuseppe Verdi, Arturo Toscanini and Niccolò Paganini. It is also recognised for its esteemed history and its role in promoting art and culture, performances and music education, while safeguarding its invaluable cultural and historical heritage.
From January to May each year, the Teatro offers a range of performances, including the Opera Season with works from the great repertoire, the Concert Season featuring international soloists and chamber ensembles, and the Ballet Season, which hosts leading étoile dancers and international ballet companies. Additionally, the RegioYoung programme presents special events tailored for families and students.
Since 2001, the Teatro has organised the Festival Verdi annually around 10 October, Giuseppe Verdi’s birthdate. Recognised as the Best Festival at the International Opera Awards, the Festival Verdi unites the finest performers of Verdi’s works and emerging opera talents in Parma and Busseto, Verdi’s birthplace. The festival showcases a rich array of opera performances, concerts, seminars, and innovative site-specific installations across multiple theatres and stages. It also includes first-rate commissions, original productions, and performances designed for young and new audiences, where Verdi's timeless music meets contemporary interpretations.
Since 2016, the Festival Verdi programme has been further enriched by Verdi Off, a series of over 100 free events aimed at spreading the passion for Verdi’s music in a festive atmosphere across Parma and its surrounding areas. Verdi Off is designed to engage families, young people, children, and individuals in hospitals, treatment centres, and penitentiary institutions.
RegioInsieme is a social project founded by Teatro Regio di Parma in 2019, aimed at educating, engaging, and inspiring the community on social issues while ensuring accessibility and inclusion for those with special needs. In 2023, Teatro Regio di Parma launched the Manifesto Etico, a social commitment initiative extended to the artists of the Festival Verdi, Verdi Off and Opera Season. By signing the Manifesto Etico, artists pledge to dedicate their time to various meetings and dialogues, spreading the joy of music, theatre and art to all audiences.
In 2020, Teatro Regio founded the Academy of Teatro Regio di Parma, beginning with a training course in tailoring for the creative industries. Teatro Regio also houses the Accademia Verdiana, an academy focused on Verdi’s vocal repertoire, where students, under the guidance of exceptional artists and vocal coaches, perform at the highest levels. Directed by Francesco Izzo, Accademia Verdiana is a project co-financed by the Fondo Sociale Europeo and the Regione Emilia-Romagna.
Built under the patronage of Duchess Maria Luigia of Habsburg-Lorraine, wife of Napoleon and Governor of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, and originally named Nuovo Teatro Ducale, Teatro Regio di Parma opened on 16 May 1829 with the opera Zaira, composed for the occasion by Vincenzo Bellini.
Designed by architect Nicolò Bettoli, the Teatro features 380 stall seats, four tiers of 30 boxes, and a gallery, with an overall capacity of 1,150 spectators. It is one of the few theatres in the world to possess an original, historical curtain in pristine condition, painted on canvas by Giovan Battista Borghesi.
Scenes, costumes, and stage devices from over forty opera productions created over the past three decades by the Teatro’s set design and tailoring ateliers, collaborating with the most renowned directors, costume designers, and set designers—travel to the world’s most prestigious theatres on tour.
