Chiara Muti on Her Collaboration with Father Riccardo and Life in france
Chiara Muti, a rising opera director, reflects on her professional relationship with her father, renowned conductor Riccardo Muti, and her family life in France. She recounts how her father recognized her potential despite her initial reservations. “He called me for the Sancta Susanna and I didn’t think I was ready, but he understood that my work could lead to opera direction,” she told La Stampa.
Their collaboration has continued with productions of Così fan tutte,Don Giovanni,and Manon Lescaut,and they are currently preparing a new production of Macbeth. They also plan to film Don Giovanni in Japan.
Chiara describes her father as a dedicated and meticulous artist. “He may seem haughty, but in reality he is just demanding. Even today he arrives very prepared. If he has to remake Macbeth for the umpteenth time, he will start it from scratch and delve deeper into it. This is his teaching.”
Currently residing in France, Chiara enjoys a peaceful life in the countryside near the Pyrenees. She describes a domestic scene filled with creative pursuits and everyday family life: her pianist husband practicing, her own reading and listening to music, and their daughter navigating the challenges of high school. She humorously notes her daughter’s constant use of her smartphone, calling it a “demonic instrument” and referencing its influence on her staging of Guillaume Tell at La Scala, where she incorporated numerous screens. Chiara believes the key parental challenge is encouraging children to choose “less smartphones and more books.” The family has even given names to the oaks in their forest, with Chiara’s favorite being Marie Antoinette.
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