The world famous Russian soprano Anna Netrebko expressed her disagreement with the war in Ukraine. The artist has canceled concerts in Europe and the US after she was criticized for close ties to the Kremlin and after New York’s Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall terminated her contracts over the matter.
The singer wrote in a statement posted on Facebook that she “clearly condemns the war with Ukraine” and her thoughts are with the victims of that war and their families. “My position is clear. I am not a member of any political party and am not affiliated with any Russian leader,” she wrote.
She added that she “acknowledges and regrets that her past actions or statements may have been misinterpreted.”
Anna Netrebko said she met President Putin only a few times in her life, mostly on the occasion of awards in recognition of her art or at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. “I have never received any financial support from the Russian government, I live and pay taxes in Austria,” she stressed.
“Looking for a room”
“I love my homeland Russia and seek peace and unity only through my art. After the announced break, I will return to performances at the end of May, initially in Europe, ”the artist wrote.
Anna Netrebko joins a group of Russian stars, including prima ballerina Olga Smirnova, who have spoken out loudly against the war.
In early March, the New York Metropolitan Opera pulled out of a partnership with the Russian singer who had been its face for years, saying it would no longer partner with artists or institutions that support or support Putin.
Support for the annexation of Crimea
The wave of criticism that hit Anna Netrebko included her support for Vladimir Putin’s policies, taking pictures with Vladimir Putin in 2014, supporting the annexation of Crimea, and shortly thereafter making a large donation to an opera house in Donetsk, a city controlled by pro-Russian separatists. The artist added fuel to the fire on Instagram, in which she did not condemn Putin’s policies. She also accused the West of the hypocrisy of fighting for democracy by destroying artists.
Various cultural institutions have also collaborated with other Russian artists, including pro-Kremlin conductor Valery Gergiev and pianist Denis Matsuev.