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After 192 performances at the Metropolitan Opera, soprano Anna Netrebko will not play this year due to her support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Matt made several attempts to persuade Netrebko, who is making statements critical of the war, to rebuke Putin, but failed to convince the singer.
“This is a great artistic loss for the Metro and the opera,” General Manager Peter Gelb said in a statement Thursday.
Russian soprano Anna Netrebko will not perform at the Metropolitan Opera this year because of her support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. (AP)
“Anna is one of the greatest singers in Met history, but there was no way forward with Putin killing innocent victims in Ukraine.”
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Gelb said in a statement Sunday that Matt would not work with artists who support Putin.
After 50-year-old Netrebko refused to give up on Putin, she canceled her upcoming shows, leaving her next appearance in Barcelona on April 3rd.
Netrebko received the Russian People’s Artist Award from Putin in 2008 and was photographed receiving flowers from the Russian president. (AP Photo / Dmitry Lovetsky, file)
“I am against this senseless aggressive war and I call on Russia to end this war immediately to save us all. We need peace right now,” she said.
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“This is not the time for me to make music and perform. So I decided to take a step back from the moment. It’s an extremely difficult decision for me, but I know my audience will understand and respect that decision. “
Netrebko received the Russian People’s Artist Award from Putin in 2008 and was photographed receiving flowers from the Russian president.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine on February 24. (Yuri Kochetkov / Pool)
Netrebko made his Met debut on February 14, 2002 in Prokofiev’s War and Peace and quickly became a favorite of the house. Her last performance at the house was a New Year’s gala, in which she participated on December 31, 2019.
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The soprano singer will be replaced by Ukrainian singer Lyudmila Monastirska in Puccini’s Turandot for five performances from April 30th to May 14th, including a May 7th performance in theaters around the world.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Presidency of Ukraine / Handout / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine on February 24.
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The invasion of Ukraine has led to solidarity in the world of art and culture among Ukrainians and a reaction against the Russian government and those associated with it who will not reject Putin’s actions. The effects of the waves have also reached the international sports world.
The Associated Press contributed to this report