Composed of 135 musicians, the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala is considered one of the world’s best orchestras for opera productions, although it is equally revered for its symphonic repertoire.
At its genesis, the orchestra was ‘conducted’ by the First Violin orchestra leader, including the eminent violinist and teacher of Paganini, Alessandro Rolla. In 1854 Alberto Mazzuccato became the first conductor of the orchestra, and the orchestra has since been led by Franco Faccio who conducted the premiere of Othello in 1887, Leopoldo Mugnone, Edoardo Mascheroni who conducted the premiere of Falstaff in 1893, and Arturo Toscanini who, during the 1921–22 season, transformed the Teatro alla Scala from being a private theatre to having an autonomous board.
Other great conductors to have led the orchestra include Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, Guido Cantelli, Leonard Bernstein, Carlo Maria Giulini, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim and Riccardo Chailly.