Russian Pro-Putin Opera Singer Anna Netrebko Returns to US Stage After Being Banned

Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko, known for her support of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, will perform at a gala concert with the Palm Beach Opera in Florida. This will be her first performance in the United States in over five years.

This was reported by The New York Times.

Netrebko last appeared on the American stage before the pandemic, in 2019. For nearly two decades, she was a leading soprano at the Metropolitan Opera. After the start of the full-scale invasion, Netrebko refused to condemn or criticize Putin’s policies, which led to her being dropped from collaborations.

This decision has been criticized by Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, who ended his collaboration with Netrebko in 2022. He emphasized that the Florida opera’s decision is problematic due to Netrebko’s “close ties to Putin.” He also added that Netrebko has made “insincere efforts to distance herself from Russian military actions.”

The gala performance is scheduled for February 2025. Netrebko herself has expressed anticipation for the event in Florida: “I look forward to the opportunity to spend time in such a wonderful setting.” Palm Beach Opera Director James Barbato stated that Netrebko “is a cultural icon, and her much-anticipated return to the US cannot be missed.”

Anna Netrebko, a Russian opera singer who has also held Austrian citizenship since 2006, was a confidant of Vladimir Putin during elections and received awards from him. In 2014, she supported the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk “People Republics” and was photographed with the flag of the so-called “Novorossiya” (“New Russia”.)

She is listed in the “Peacemaker” database as an accomplice of Russian troops. In January 2023, she was added to Ukraine’s sanctions list.

Following the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Netrebko was dismissed from the Metropolitan Opera in New York due to her pro-Putin views. She was later refused participation in a concert in Stuttgart. Additionally, she was banned from performances at the Bavarian State Opera and Milan’s La Scala.

However, by the fall of 2022, it became apparent that Netrebko continued to perform in Europe and around the world. Her schedule included performances in Milan, Verona, Belgrade, Baden-Baden, and other cities.

In May 2023, it was announced that the famous Milan theater La Scala had reinstated Netrebko to its stage.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Oleksiy Makeiev, stated that Anna Netrebko also bears responsibility for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.