Paola Macchi is the new general director of the MAXXI in Rome

Paola Macchi is the new general director of the Maxxi Foundation. The appointment was approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors on Monday, July 13, upon the recommendation of Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, and marks the completion of the implementation of the Foundation’s new bylaws, which took effect on June 15. Macchi, who previously served as Secretary General of the Museum of 21st-Century Arts in Rome, now assumes the role of Director General for a five-year term. Her appointment marks the operational launch of the new organizational model introduced by the Bylaws, which provides for a position with direct responsibility for the Foundation’s operational and organizational management, as well as for administrative and financial matters.

The Board of Directors’ decision thus represents a key step in the reorganization of the Maxxi Foundation, which is set to strengthen its role in the Italian and international cultural landscape. The new structure aims to define the institution’s management functions more clearly, entrusting the Director General with the coordination of the activities necessary for the Foundation’s operations.

“Congratulations to Paola Macchi, with my best wishes for success in this important role,” said Minister Alessandro Giuli. “Her experience ensures the successful implementation of the organizational model introduced by the Bylaws. I am certain that her commitment will help strengthen the Museum’s role as a leading center for art, architecture, and contemporary creativity. I thank President Emanuela Bruni and the Board of Directors for launching, with this appointment, a new phase for the Foundation, marked by continuity and the promotion of one of Italy’s most important cultural institutions. The appointment marks the operational launch of the revamped organizational model introduced by the new Bylaws, which establishes the position of Director General—entrusted, for a five-year term, with the operational and organizational management of the Foundation, as well as its administrative and financial management.”

Macchi’s appointment follows a long professional career developed within some of Italy’s leading cultural institutions, with experience ranging from theater to music, from dance to the organizational and administrative management of major cultural institutions. Her training and career have been shaped by roles of increasing responsibility, leading the new Director General of MAXXI to oversee not only artistic production and programming but also financial management, human resources, administration, and competitive bidding procedures.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Modern Literature from the Catholic University of Milan and a master’s degree from the Paolo Grassi School of Dramatic Arts, Macchi began her professional career in 1998 at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, one of Italy’s most important national cultural institutions in the field of theater. There, she gained her initial experience in the production and programming of performances, overseeing artistic projects in Italy and abroad. Her experience in the theater sector continued from 2003 to 2006 at the Teatro Eliseo in Rome, where, in addition to overseeing the organizational management and production of performances, she began coordinating other departments within the theater company. This transition broadened her professional profile, leading her to tackle more complex aspects of managing a cultural institution.

Between 2008 and 2010, she worked at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto under the direction of Giorgio Ferrara, developing expertise in the fields of opera and dance as well. In this context, she managed productions with national and international opera and symphony foundations, applying the national collective bargaining agreement for the sector.

During this time, she managed collaborations and contractual relationships with major international artistic institutions, including the Los Angeles Opera, the Théâtre du Châtelet, and the Komische Oper Berlin. He also oversaw the finalization of contracts with some of the most renowned orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Giuseppe Verdi Orchestra of Milan.

Another significant milestone in her career was her move to the Teatro di Roma – Teatro Nazionale, an institution that manages the Teatro Argentina and the Teatro India and which, since 2017, has also incorporated seven other theaters in the city into its organization through the “Teatri in Comune” project. There, Macchi initially served as assistant to the director from 2014 to 2017, before assuming the role of chief operating officer from 2017 to 2020.

During her years at the Teatro di Roma, her responsibilities extended beyond organizational and production matters to include general affairs, human resources management, administration, finance, and competitive bidding. In particular, she oversaw numerous procedures related to the application of the public procurement code, including those concerning the assignment of certain municipal theaters and the implementation of routine and major maintenance work on historic buildings.

In her role as head of human resources, she also managed labor relations, handling negotiations with counterparties regarding second-level collective bargaining agreements. This experience strengthened her expertise in managing complex organizations and in navigating relationships between the organization, employees, and institutions.

In 2020, Macchi was appointed Administrative and Organizational Director of the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto. The Festival dei Due Mondi is one of Italy’s leading cultural events and attracts tens of thousands of spectators each year, featuring approximately 200 performances spread over the event’s eighteen-day run. The festival’s complex organizational structure involves approximately 700 artists and a staff of 250 people, requiring sophisticated management of artistic, production, and administrative activities. Macchi held this position until September 2025; in May of that same year, she was appointed Secretary General of MAXXI. Now, with her appointment as General Director of MAXXI, Paola Macchi brings to the Foundation the experience she has gained over more than twenty years of work within leading cultural institutions.

Paola Macchi is the new general director of the MAXXI in Rome

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