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Anna Netrebko: »No possibility of continuing this collaboration«
Photo: JOE KLAMAR / AFP
The Russian star soprano Anna Netrebko will not sing at the Easter Festival in Baden-Baden 2022 because of the war in Ukraine.
The Festspielhaus announced that due to the developments surrounding her, an appearance at the Easter Festival was not possible.
The artist and the Festspielhaus had mutually agreed to renounce this year.
"But neither side rules out future cooperation." Those who already have tickets for the concert planned for April 13 with the Berlin Philharmonic will be contacted individually and informed about alternative options.
The day before, the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden had already announced that Netrebko had withdrawn from participating in the "Turandot" production there.
As the opera house announced, it had previously asked Netrebko to distance himself from the Russian government's illegal actions in Ukraine.
In view of the "brutal war" one sees "no possibility for a continuation of this cooperation".
Netrebko should have embodied the role of »Turandot« in eight performances in Berlin in June and July.
Netrebko did not withdraw public support for Vladimir Putin
The New York Metropolitan Opera has also put its collaboration with the singer on hold for the time being.
The opera house has asked Netrebko to withdraw her public support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The singer did not do this, the opera said.
Netrebko then withdrew from planned upcoming appearances.
The Metropolitan Opera had previously announced that it no longer wanted to work with artists or institutions that support Putin.
Netrebko has been criticized for not clearly distancing herself from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A few days ago she publicly spoke out against the Ukraine war, but not against Putin.
Other opera houses have also canceled performances by the singer in the past few days, including the Zurich Opera House.
"It's not the right time for me to perform and play music," Netrebko was quoted as saying.
»I have therefore decided to withdraw from performances until further notice.«
The Festspielhaus Baden-Baden recently ended its collaboration with the Russian conductor Valeri Gergiev until further notice.
Gergiev's lack of distance "to the current inhuman actions of the Russian President was the deciding factor for us," explained director Benedikt Stampa.
»Obviously we no longer represent the same values.«
ime/dpa
