Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, nowadays generally known as La Verdi, was founded in 1993 by Vladimir Delman. Since then the Orchestra developped its repertoire under prestigious conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Georges Prêtre, Riccardo Muti, Valery Gergiev, Rudolf Barshai, Claus Peter Flor, Christopher Hogwood, Helmuth Rilling, Peter Maag, Marko Letonja, Roberto Abbado and many ohers.
From 1999 to 2005 Riccardo Chailly, now Conductor Laureate, was Music Director and led the Orchestra to major achievements and prestigious international tours (Europe, Asia, America).
Under his baton the Orchestra also started an intense recording activity with major international artists and recording labels (more than 25 CDs so far). “Verdi Heroines”, with Angela Georghiu, won in 2000 the Gramophone Award, the Classic FM People's Choice and the Choc de l'Année. The CD of Verdi's “Messa Solenne”, with the Chorus conducted by Romano Gandolfi, was nominated for the 2001 Gramophone Awards while the CD “Rossini's Arias” with Juan Diego Florez, with whom the orchestra recorded also “Una furtiva lacrima”, had a large success of audience. In the Autumn 2006, for the 100th anniversary of Dmitrij Sostakovic's birth the “Complete Symphonies Cycle”, conducted by Oleg Caetani, was published by Arts as well as the “Shostakovich Chamber Symphonies”, conducted by Rudolf Barshai, for Brilliant Classics. On February 1st 2010 the CD "Verismo Arias" with Renée Fleming conducted by Marco Armiliato and produced by Decca, won the prestigious "Grammy Award” for best classical vocal performance.
Carlo Maria Giulini and Rudolf Barshai have been Conductor Emeritus. Starting from the Season 2008/2009 Wayne Marshall and Helmut Rilling are Principal Guest Conductors. The horn player Radovan Vlatkovic and the pianist Simone Pedroni have been nominated Artists in Residence. From 2009 Xian Zhang is the new Music Director and Ruben Jais Resident Conductor. Season 2011/2012 will be the debut of John Axelrod as Principal Conductor.
In 1998 Romano Gandolfi, a leading figure in the choral world, previous Chorus Master at La Scala Milano, Teatro Colod Buenos Aires, Liceu Barcelona, founded the Coro Sinfonico di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, a 100 singers chorus which faces with major flexibility a wide repertoire, including operatic, symphonic, chamber and polyphonic music, from the baroque era to the contemporary. Currently M° Erina Gambarini is the Chorus Master.Orchestra and Chorus have often toured around the world together.
In 2002, La Verdi was Resident Orchestra and Chorus at “Festival dei Due Mondi” in Spoleto. In the same year the Orchestra also had its first European tour in France, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland conducted by Riccardo Chailly.
In April 2009 La Verdi, conducted by the new Musical Director Xian Zhang, performed the concert offered by the President Giorgio Napolitano in Sala Nervi to celebrate the IV anniversary of Benedetto XVI's Pontificate.
In June and July 2009-2010-2011 La Verdi was invited again to perform as Resident Orchestra at “Festival dei Due Mondi” in Spoleto.
La Verdi, now regarded as one of the leading Italian orchestras, has a vast repertoire, from Baroque to Contemporary, and since 1999 performs in its new home: Auditorium di Milano – Fondazione Cariplo. The new hall, inaugurated with Mahler II under the baton of Riccardo Chailly, is considered one of the best concert halls in Italy for its acoustic, technical and attractive features.
During 2011/2012 the main season will be accompanied by other three different concert series: “Crescendo in Musica” (10 concerts for children and families), “La Verdi Barocca” (appointments with the music of XVII and XVIII Century, conducted by Ruben Jais and performed by the period instruments orchestra ‘La Verdi Barocca’) and “MAGGIOREminore”, the project conceived and conducted by Giuseppe Grazioli (10 concerts to celebrate famous composers and their less famous collegues).