Berlin State Opera's Artistic Director Defends Decision to Program Anna Netrebko

Elisabeth Sobotka said that Netrebko had been made into a "scapegoat"

Elisabeth Sobotka, the Artistic Director of the Berlin State Opera, has defended the company's decision to invite the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko to appear in its 2025/26 season. Netrebko will appear in four performances of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, singing the role of Amelia.

"She is really an exceptional singer, I am happy that she is coming back," Sobotka told the German outlet BZ. "I believe it was recognized that Anna Netrebko was a scapegoat. And overall, the situation is very confusing, now there is much more to be upset about, especially with regard to the lack of support for Ukraine."

Sobotka also does not anticipate protests against Netrebko's performance either.

Netrebko was among the Russian artists who lost the most work following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2022, her engagements were terminated at the Metropolitan Opera after its general manager, Peter Gelb, said that the company would not work with artists who were associated with Putin. More recently, she has sued the Met over claims of discrimination, defamation, and breach of contract.

Since that time, Netrebko has been invited to sing at European venues such as the Vienna State Opera, Paris Opéra, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, and Berlin’s Staatsoper unter den Linden — but until recently, she had not received offers from opera houses in the United Kingdom or America.

In February 2025, Netrebko made her return to the United States for the first time in six years, appearing alongside pianist Ángel Rodríguez at a gala concert hosted by Palm Beach Opera. At the time, the company's general director James Barbato told AP News that "arts organizations should not be involved in politics."