VENICE — Teatro La Fenice fired Beatrice Venezi as its incoming music director and canceled all future collaborations with her. The La Fenice Foundation announced the decision after weeks of opposition from the Venice opera house's musicians, staff and audiences.

General manager Nicola Colabianchi cited Venezi's repeated public statements as offensive and harmful to the theater and its orchestra. Venezi had been due to take up the role in October, conducting three times a year.

In remarks that drew opposition from the orchestra, Venezi said La Fenice's bosses were afraid because she was young, female and wanted to bring about change. She said orchestra members never left the island of Venice and did not know how to attract younger audiences, and that season ticket holders were all over 80. She also accused the management of being anarchic and too influenced by unions. "Positions were handed from father to son," Venezi said.

The opera house's orchestra musicians and staff strongly opposed Venezi's appointment, and staff voted to strike. Musicians, singers and backstage workers held a strike that forced the cancellation of a performance, and workers from other opera houses joined a march through Venice in protest. At the end of several performances, audience members threw dozens of leaflets bearing the slogan "Music is art, not entertainment" into the air.

Some who opposed the appointment argued that Venezi had never conducted at La Fenice except during a brief promotional event and had not conducted at any other major opera house. She has worked with orchestras in Europe and beyond and currently serves as a music adviser at Italy's culture ministry.

Italian culture minister Alessandro Giuli expressed support for the decision. "I hoped the move would clear the field of misunderstandings, tensions and exploitation of any kind," Giuli said. The office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said a report that she supported the decision to fire Venezi was completely unfounded and that she was not involved in the decision.