Netrebko Loses Russian Engagements After Publicly Condemning War

Siberia's Novosibirsk Opera has decided to cancel a June 2 performance that was to feature the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko. The decision was made following Netrebko's statement of March 31, which said that she "explicitly condemned" the war in Ukraine and was not "allied with any leader of Russia."

The Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre is located at the center of Lenin Square in Novosibirsk, a city Siberia, Russia.

"Living in Europe and having the opportunity to perform in European concert halls appears to be more important [for her] than the fate of the homeland," the Novosibirsk Opera said in a statement.

"We are certain that right is on our side," they continued. "We must not be frightened that there are cultural figures who reject their Homeland. Our country is rich in talent, and new artists with unequivocal civic positions will take the place of yesterday’s stars."

The news comes as another blow for Netrebko, who initially failed to take a clear stance on the invasion of Ukraine and has therefore lost work in both Russia and the West. An early statement, released via Instagram, noted that while Netrebko was opposed to the war, she felt that "forcing artists...to voice their political opinions in public and denounce their homeland is not right," adding that she is "not a political person."

This previous stance was not strong enough for many Western institutions, however. In early March, Netrebko was forced to withdraw from all performances at the Met, since their policy required artists to be actively opposed to the conflict. A few weeks later, she was dropped by her management agency Center Stage Artist Management. Around the same time, she lost all of her upcoming recording contracts with Deutsche Grammophon.