A few hours before her scheduled appearance tomorrow at the Elbe Philharmonic in Hamburg, the famous soprano Anna Netrebko announced that she is retiring from all her scheduled concerts.
The Russian international opera star has been a friend and supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin for years, and her name is among the artists who in 2014 signed an open letter in favor of the annexation of Crimea to Russia. Last year, she celebrated her 50th birthday in the Kremlin with the Russian president, and has participated in his election campaigns. In 2014, he was photographed with the leader of the Donetsk separatists waving the “neo-Russian” flag, a symbol of the separatists in eastern Ukraine, and even donated one million rubles to the Donetsk opera. She recently received critical comments about her stance, to which she replied that she is not a politician, but is opposed to the war. “It is not right to force artists to take a stand,” he said.
Anna Netrebko’s “statement” is just saving face. She does not want to end up like #Gergievwith whom she appears in this photo along with #Putin. pic.twitter.com/DyAmUaRo0Y
– Christa Riter (@christa_riter) February 26, 2022
“After a mature thought, I made the extremely difficult decision to retire from concert life for the time being. This is not the best time to give a concert. “I hope my audience will understand my decision,” Ms. Netrebko wrote on Instagram today, but her account has now been deactivated.
It is unknown at this time whether the soprano scheduled for April 13 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in Baden-Baden. “We will seek a discussion with her. “She should be given the opportunity to answer some questions,” said the Baden-Baden Festival Hall.
Earlier today, the Elbe Philharmonic Orchestra, which, like many buildings in Germany, is dressed in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, also announced the cancellation of Russian conductor Valery Gergiev’s scheduled appearances at the Mariinsky Theater, as the famous chief musician was asked in a statement condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Scala in Milan and the Vienna Philharmonic had previously suspended their collaboration with Gergiev.
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