The eminent Italian conductor Alberto Zedda has been asked to retire next January as Artistic Director of Rossini Opera festival of Pesaro. The request came from the festival’s general director,  Gianfranco Mariotti, who is 82.

Zedda,who has conducted in most of the world’s major opera houses and is editor of many standard scores, will be replaced by Ernesto Palacio, a tenor-turned-agent. Palacio is the manager of Juan Diego Florez – and of Mariotti’s conductor son, Michele.

In Italy, it’s opera business as usual.