Anna Netrebko Returns to U.S. Opera Stage After Publicly Supporting Putin

The stage was set, the chandeliers dimmed and the audience hushed. Then the superstar Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, in a ruffled flamingo-pink gown and sparkling heels, made her entrance on Monday in the gilded ballroom of the Breakers hotel in Palm Beach.

Ms. Netrebko was performing in the United States for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine, when she became persona non grata at American cultural institutions because of her past support of Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin.

It was, perhaps, a comedown since her last appearance, a starry New Year’s Eve gala in 2019 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where, as the company’s prima donna, she commanded an audience of about 3,800 that included legions of fans.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve been in the U.S.,” Ms. Netrebko said from the stage. “This city’s just like a paradise. So beautiful. You are lucky to live here.”

In the anything-goes culture of Palm Beach, Ms. Netrebko, 53, was hoping for a comeback.

But with the future of the war in Ukraine uncertain — President Trump has vowed to end the conflict, but he has made clear his distaste for continuing to help Ukraine take back territory seized by Russia — it is unclear when she might be welcomed again to a major stage in the United States. She declined to be interviewed for this article.

At the recital on Monday, she seemed unfazed. She sang for about an hour, including selections from Puccini’s “La Bohème,” Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffmann” and Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci.” She twirled and blew kisses, and wandered into the audience to serenade fans. At one point, singing an aria from Franz Lehar’s “Giuditta,” she kicked off her heels and offered a spirited dance. (“I cannot dance tonight because of this dress,” she had warned before. “But believe me, I still can do it.”)

Her fans were delighted, saying her return to the United States was long overdue.

“She’s been canceled for no good reason,” said Ronnie Heyman, a philanthropist and art collector who lives in Palm Beach. “She’s here tonight as an artist, not a political figure. Tonight is about art.”

But outside the Breakers, the landmark resort where Ms. Netrebko performed, there was anger and defiance. Protesters fanned out, telling arriving guests that they should go home because there were “dangerous Russians” inside.

Ilona Chernobai, an Instagram influencer from Ukraine who lives in Florida, dressed up as Ms. Netrebko, standing in front of a microphone and a sign that said “Your stage is in the Kremlin.” Ms. Netrebko’s singing, mixed with the sounds of air-raid sirens and bombs, played in the background.

“Russian people and Russian culture should be in Russia — not here, not in the world,” Ms. Chernobai said.

Dmytro Bozhko, president of the Ukrainian Association of Florida, said he hoped the protest would remind the public about Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine. He said that he wanted to attract the attention of President Trump, a resident of Palm Beach, and his administration, and that Ms. Netrebko should clarify her position on the war.

“She tries to be somewhere in the middle,” Mr. Bozhko said. “But you cannot be in the middle. You have to be on one side or the other.”

After the invasion, Ms. Netrebko said in a statement that she condemned the war in Ukraine. But she has refrained from explicitly criticizing Mr. Putin and has not spoken in depth about her previous support for him. Her name appeared on a list endorsing his election in 2012, and she has spoken glowingly of him over the years.

Ms. Netrebko has staged a comeback in Europe over the past two years, returning to many top concert halls and opera houses, despite some protests.

In December, she opened the season at La Scala in Milan, starring in Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino.” There were some scattered boos during the curtain call, but Dominique Meyer, the chief executive and artistic director of La Scala, defended Ms. Netrebko at the time. “There isn’t a Netrebko in every generation,” he said. “If we are lucky enough to have her here in the theater, we must be warm and applaud her.”

Most American institutions, though, including the Met, have continued to refuse to engage her because of her past support for Mr. Putin and her unwillingness to criticize him now. Ms. Netrebko has sued the Met, which severed ties with Ms. Netrebko shortly after the invasion, accusing the company of breaching contracts. A federal judge narrowed the suit last year to gender discrimination claims; the case is still pending.

Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, declined to comment on Ms. Netrebko’s return to the stage. But last year, he criticized Palm Beach Opera’s decision to host her, saying she has led a “disingenuous effort to distance herself from the Russian war effort.”

The Met’s stance seems to have caused some division among its own supporters. The sponsors of the gala in Palm Beach included Veronica Atkins, a managing director on the Met’s board, and Frayda Lindemann, a former president of the Met’s board, who established a program for young artists there.

Agnieszka Balaban, who supported the gala in Palm Beach and has also donated to the Met, said she hoped Ms. Netrebko would soon be welcomed back in New York.

“There’s nobody like her in the world,” she said. “Her art is beyond any politics.”

Ms. Netrebko’s appearance was a coup for Palm Beach Opera, founded in 1961, which has a history of engaging stars like Luciano Pavarotti and Renée Fleming, but not on an exclusive basis.

James Barbato, who leads Palm Beach Opera, said he was not bothered by Ms. Netrebko’s past record of support for Mr. Putin.

“We feel that politics have no place in arts organizations,” he said, “and that Ms. Netrebko’s advocacy for peace is well documented and clear.”

Speaking to the audience before the recital, Mr. Barbato tried to play up the rarity of the concert.

“This is the moment for which opera lovers from across the United States have been waiting for five long years,” he said. “The wait is finally over.”

Ms. Netrebko played along, making a surprise entrance from the back of the Mediterranean Ballroom. She was fully in character as the lead in Francesco Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur,” speaking lines from the libretto as she made her way to the stage.

She stopped to introduce each piece in her program, occasionally welcoming guests to sing with her, including young artists with Palm Beach Opera. Before a series of songs by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Rimsky-Korsakov, she said, “Since this is a recital, I decided to bring you some beautiful Russian music.”

After a prolonged standing ovation, Ms. Netrebko offered a signature encore: Puccini’s “O mio babbino caro,” stretching the high notes for maximum effect.

There were shouts of “Brava!” and “Encore!,” and an admirer gave Ms. Netrebko a bouquet of flowers. She smiled and waved, and then disappeared behind a white curtain.