Anna Netrebko, the renowned Russian soprano, was avoided by many of the main operating companies in the world after Russia has invaded Ukraine three years ago due to its past support for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
Since then, however, a number of more prestigious companies in Europe have welcomed her with their backs. And the next season will return to two other large opera houses there for the first time from the beginning of the war: Zurich Opera and the Royal Opera of London.
With these commitments, Mrs. Netrebko will have returned to many of the main phases of the world, with a considerable exception: the Metropolitan Opera of New York, where she reigned as the first woman for two decades.
Peter Gelb, the general manager of Met, interrupted the company’s links with Mrs. Netrebko three years ago, citing her “close association with Putin”. He said he believes that Mrs. Netrebko, a citizen of Russia and Austria who lives in Vienna, made a “unintended effort to distance himself from the Russian war effort”. He refused to comment on Thursday.
Mrs. Netrebko sued Met, accusing the company of discrimination, defamation and violation of the contract. A federal judge reduced the case last year to requests for gender discrimination; His case is still pending.
Mrs. Netrebko returned to the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, at the State Work in Berlin, at the State Work of Vienna and the Opera in Paris. And in the last few days in London and Zurich they both announced that they too would welcome her.
Zurich Opera said Thursday that Mrs. Netrebko will perform in “The Force of Destiny” of Verdi in November. In the announcement of the 2025-26 season, the company leader of the company, Matthias Schulz, said that Mrs. Netrebko “deserves to have this possibility”, according to the media.
He retired from his commitments in Zurich in 2022 But he added that the “decisive condemnation” of the house of the work of Mr. Putin and his actions was not “compatible with the public position of Anna Netrebko”.
The Royal Opera in London said at the beginning of this month that Mrs. Netrebko would return to her stage for the first time in six years to open her season in a new production of Puccini’s “Tosca”. It will also appear there in a waking of “Turandot” of Puccini in December and will perform a recital next year.
The Royal Opera declared in a declaration that “Russian nationality does not equate the alignment of the association with the current Kremlin regime”.
“Anna made clear statements by condemning Putin’s war to Ukraine and has not returned to Russia since 2022,” says the note.
A representative for Mrs. Netrebko refused to comment.
After the invasion, Mrs. Netrebko declared the war in Ukraine in a declaration of condemnation, but abstained to explicitly criticize Mr. Putin, and did not spoke in depth of his previous support record for him.
As it appeared in Europe in the best concert halls and opera houses, it was often welcomed by protests but also won ovations and strong reviews.
Mrs. Netrebko sought an American return; He sang in a gala for Palm Beach operates in Florida in February. But he has not yet announced high -profile commitments in the United States.