Opera in New York ordered to pay Netrebko 200 thousand dollars for the cancellation of performances

Arbitrator Howard Edelman ruled in February of this year that the management of the Metropolitan Opera in New York should pay Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko $200,000 in compensation for 13 performances canceled last year. About it informs newspaper The New York Times.

The judge substantiated the decision by the fact that a contract was concluded between the theater and the singer, which provides for the payment of a fee to the artist even if the performance is cancelled. At the same time, the theater itself insisted that Netrebko was not entitled to the payment because she refused to condemn the Russian special operation in Ukraine. However, the court considered that the singer has the right to be “Putin’s supporter”, and her position does not seem unlawful.

Initially, Netrebko wanted to receive $400,000, including for the cancellation of performances scheduled for 2023. However, the judge rejected these requirements, since the agreement on the tour was not secured by the contract. At the same time, the singer herself was fined $30,000 for “extremely inappropriate” statements after the start of the SVO.

The NYT also writes that on March 17, the Metropolitan Opera announced the dismissal of Netrebko’s spouse, Azerbaijani singer Yusif Eyvazov.