Since its inauguration on 21 December 2002, the Auditorium has stood out in the Italian cultural scene for the quality of its events and the number of people who attend. Named after the maestro Ennio Morricone, it has a self-financing capacity of over 60%.

The complex is managed by the Fondazione Musica per Roma, created on 19 July 2004 as a new name for the original joint stock company founded in 1999. This constituted the first major transformation of a joint stock company into a foundation permitted by the new corporate law reform. The founding partners are the City of Rome, which has granted the Foundation the use of the Auditorium building for 99 years, the Chamber of Commerce of Rome and the Region of Lazio.

The Auditorium managed by the Foundation is home to one of the oldest musical institutions in the world, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, which organises symphonic and chamber music concerts, as well as a more varied musical programme (jazz, pop, rock, world) and a packed programme of film premieres, theatre performances, art exhibitions and literary events.