Because of Moscow relations
Netrebko concert in Lucerne canceled
Is criticized because of her alleged closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin: Anna Netrebko. photo
© Barbara Gindl/APA/dpa
Anna Netrebko has spoken out against the war of aggression in Ukraine. Nevertheless, a concert by the opera singer has now been canceled because of her alleged closeness to Putin.
There is a concert in Lucerne with the Russian-born soprano Anna Netrebko was canceled due to pressure from the cantonal government. The performance was planned for June 1st at the Culture and Congress Center (KKL). The public perception of the soloist remains controversial, the KKL said in a statement.
The 53-year-old Netrebko was criticized after the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022 because of her alleged closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Among other things, she celebrated her 50th birthday in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow in 2021. The “Luzerner Zeitung” had previously reported on the cancellation.
The government council had expressed “the unmistakable expectation” that the planned concert would be canceled, said the educational and cultural director of the canton of Lucerne, Armin Hartmann, on Wednesday at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency. There are concerns about riots and protests.
The planned Ukraine conference with more than 100 states near Lucerne was also mentioned, which will discuss Ukrainian plans for peace. However, it is only scheduled for two weeks later, on June 15th and 16th.
In the recent past, concerts with Netrebko have been canceled in numerous Western countries. Her management always points out that Netrebko spoke out against the war. She has since been invited back. Among other things, she sang at the State Opera in Berlin in September 2023. In February she was a guest at the Opera Ball in Vienna. In addition to Russian, Netrebko has Austrian citizenship.