After the controversy surrounding her position on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko has performed again in Germany. Concerts are planned for this year.

After appearances in Monaco and Paris, the Russian star soprano Anna Netrebko, who was criticized for her hesitant attitude towards Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, wants to sing in Germany again.

She will come this year together with her husband Yusif Eyvazov for concerts in Regensburg, the Cologne Philharmonic and the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, among others, according to a statement on Friday. Performances in Frankfurt am Main, Vienna and Malmö are to follow in the coming year.

Controversy over Anna Netrebko’s hesitant attitude

After the beginning of the war, Netrebko temporarily withdrew from concert life. Several opera houses had canceled performances by her. In Paris, the 50-year-old was enthusiastically celebrated on Wednesday evening after her concert in the Philharmonie. She had interpreted works by Rachmaninoff, Debussy and Tchaikovsky.

The Ukrainian embassy reacted to the performance with severe criticism. That the concert could take place is outrageous. The discord between French public opinion supporting Ukraine and the hypocrisy of the audience applauding the Kremlin soprano is sad, the diplomatic mission said on Twitter. A few dozen people demonstrated against the concert in front of the Paris Philharmonie.

Netrebko was already on the stage of the Monte Carlo Opera in Monaco last month. After the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24, Netrebko initially showed hesitation, but then expressly condemned the war against Ukraine. Netrebko lives mainly in Austria.