Milan has been the opera capital of the world for over a century. The Scala Theater, which has recently been restored and brought to a level of technical quality on a par with its artistic excellence, has seen the most prestigious international artists on its stage. The Scala is legendary worldwide with an orchestra and corps de ballet that are among the best anywhere, its Art and Crafts Academy and its Museum, which is one of the most visited museums in the city. But this is not all. Every year, hundreds of classical music concerts are included in the programs of the Sinfonica di Milano "Giuseppe Verdi", I Pomeriggi Musicali, Milano Classica Società del Quartetto, Società dei Concerti, Serate Musicali and the United Europe Chamber Orchestra. Since the Scala returned to its historical Piermarini premises, the Teatro degli Arcimboldi has also been continuing with its autonomous program, focusing on music in all its varied forms of expression.
Opera and music are an important part of Milan's history but prose, too, has central role. In Milan, besides the Piccolo Teatro, founded by Giorgio Strehler, and the Teatro Franco Parenti, there are fourteen other theatres, subsidized by Milan Municipality, which stage classical and experimental works. These 14 theaters are: the Carcano, the CRT Teatro dell'Arte, the Teatri di Italia, the Filodrammatici, the Teatro Libero, the Litta, the Teatro Out Off, the Teatro Sala Fontana, the Teatro Verdi, the Compagnia Quelli di Grock, the Teatro di Gianni and Cosetta Colla, the Compagnia Marionettistica Carlo Colla and sons - Grupporiani and the Compagnia degli Incamminati.
Milan also boasts a number of other theaters with rich programs, including plays for the young. These include, just to mention a few: the Manzoni, the San Babila, the Nuovo, the Ciak, the Arsenale and the Teatro Officina.
Besides these, for some years now, Milan has also become the capital of musical shows and the Teatro Nazionale, the Smeraldo and the Teatro della Luna of Assago have in fact undergone remodelling to make them suitable for hosting the most important international musical productions and companies.
Milan is also the home of a number of the most important recording houses and this often results in large concerts held in the San Sino stadium, the Palasharp (ex-Mazda Palace), the Assago Forum or in Piazza del Duomo.
This lively artistic activity is constantly enriched by young graduates from prestigious Milan academies: the Scuola d'Arte Drammatica "Paolo Grassi", the Scuola del Piccolo Teatro, the "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatory, the Teatro alla Scala Academy and the International Academy of Music.
Lastly, cinema too has importance in this city soon to see construction of a new "Cinecittà" in via Fabio Filzi where Milan's Tobacco Factory once stood. Milan Municipality is also promoting cinema through the "Milano Cinema" event in the Gnomo Cinema, with films from many countries by various directors and on different themes. Milan also offers regular appointments for cinema fans, including: Le Vie del Cinema - I film di Venezia a Milano (movies from the Venice Film Festival) and Frontiere -I Pardi del Festival di Locarno a Milano (movies from the Locarno International Film Festival).
