Musica, Maestro! Notes on The Swan Company’s Teen Cast

Created by Ivan Cotroneo and Monica Rametta, La Compagnia del Cigno (Raiuno, 2019-2021) depicts the (extra)ordinary lives of a group of teenagers attending Milan Conservatory, one of the most renowned Italian music academies. Music acts as an excuse to introduce a variety of social issues, combining the typical narrational codes of becoming-of-age with those of dramedy. In virtue of a highly assorted musical repertoire, the series has employed young performers - mostly first-timers on the screen -, supported by more mature and distinctive actors, originating an effective mix between realism and fiction. Such an operation worked also as an opportunity for the public broadcaster to foster fresh and highly versatile talents. The episodes granted huge exposure to the featured educational institution: based on some interviews with professionals and an analysis of promotional paratexts, the chapter contextualises the series and attempts to reconstruct the involvement of the school within the productive process, with a special focus on cast recruitment and location provision.