Anna Netrebko cancels all concerts

Created: 03/01/2022Updated: 03/01/2022 14:24

Opera singer Anna Netrebko is temporarily withdrawing from concert life.

© Barbara Gindl/APA/dpa

Too close to power?

Last year Anna Netrebko celebrated her 50th birthday in the Kremlin.

Now she is taking a concert break.

Hamburg – The Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko has canceled all concerts for the coming months.

"After careful consideration, I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from concert life for the time being," the star soprano announced on Tuesday via the organizer River Concerts.

"It's not the right time for me to perform and make music.

I hope my audience will understand this decision," the statement continued.

The concert with her husband Yusif Eyvazov planned for March 2nd in Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie will be postponed to September 7th.

At the weekend, Netrebko commented on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The world-famous opera diva wrote in a statement on Instagram that she was against this war.

“I am Russian and I love my country, but I have many friends in Ukraine and the pain and suffering breaks my heart.

I want this war to stop and people can live in peace.

I hope so and I pray for that.”

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At the same time, Netrebko and Eyvazov opposed "forcing artists or any public figure to publicize their political views and insult their fatherland."

This should be a free choice.

"I'm not a political person," Netrebko explained.

"I'm not a political expert.

I am an artist and my goal is to unite across political differences.”

Last year the soprano, who also lives in Vienna, celebrated her 50th birthday with a big gala in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

At the four-hour concert, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov read out congratulations from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who paid tribute to Netrebko's internationally admired singing skills.

dpa