PALM BEACH, Fla. 鈥� The stage was set, the chandeliers dimmed and the audience hushed. Then superstar Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, in a ruffled flamingo-pink gown and sparkling heels, made her entrance Monday in the gilded ballroom of the Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.
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鈥檚 president, Vladimir Putin.
It was, perhaps, a comedown since her last appearance, a starry New Year鈥檚 Eve gala in 2019 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where, as the company鈥檚 prima donna, she commanded an audience of about 3,800 that included legions of fans.
Now, banned from performing at the Met, she was on a far smaller stage as the main attraction at a gala for the Palm Beach Opera in Florida, singing a recital before an audience of about 450, including financiers, opera buffs, socialites and snowbirds. Pro-Ukrainian protesters, holding signs that read 鈥淧utin鈥檚 Soprano,鈥� gathered outside.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been awhile since I鈥檝e been in the U.S.,鈥� Netrebko said from the stage. 鈥淭his city鈥檚 just like a paradise. So beautiful. You are lucky to live here.鈥�
In the anything-goes culture of Palm Beach, Netrebko, 53, was hoping for a comeback.
But with the future of the war in Ukraine uncertain 鈥� President Donald 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 鈥� 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 Monday, she seemed unfazed. She sang for about an hour, including selections from Giacomo Puccini鈥檚 鈥淟a Boh猫me,鈥� Jacques Offenbach鈥檚 鈥淭ales of Hoffmann鈥� and Ruggero Leoncavallo鈥檚 鈥淧agliacci.鈥� She twirled, blew kisses and wandered into the audience to serenade fans. At one point, singing an aria from Franz Lehar鈥檚 鈥淕iuditta,鈥� she kicked off her heels and offered a spirited dance. (鈥淚 cannot dance tonight because of this dress,鈥� she had warned before. 鈥淏ut believe me, I still can do it.鈥�)
Her fans were delighted, saying her return to the United States was long overdue.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been canceled for no good reason,鈥� said Ronnie Heyman, a philanthropist and art collector who lives in Palm Beach. 鈥淪he鈥檚 here tonight as an artist, not a political figure. Tonight is about art.鈥�
But outside the Breakers, the landmark resort where Netrebko performed, there was anger and defiance. Protesters fanned out, telling arriving guests that they should go home because there were 鈥渄angerous Russians鈥� inside.
Ilona Chernobai, an Instagram influencer from Ukraine who lives in Florida, dressed up as Netrebko, standing in front of a microphone and a sign that said 鈥淵our stage is in the Kremlin.鈥� Netrebko鈥檚 singing, mixed with the sounds of air-raid sirens and bombs, played in the background.
鈥淩ussian people and Russian culture should be in Russia 鈥� not here, not in the world,鈥� Chernobai said.
Dmytro Bozhko, president of the Ukrainian Association of Florida, said he hoped the protest would remind the public about Russia鈥檚 aggressive actions in Ukraine. He said that he wanted to attract the attention of Trump, a resident of Palm Beach, and his administration, and that Netrebko should clarify her position on the war.
鈥淪he tries to be somewhere in the middle,鈥� Bozhko said. 鈥淏ut you cannot be in the middle. You have to be on one side or the other.鈥�
After the invasion, Netrebko said in a statement that she condemned the war in Ukraine. But she has refrained from explicitly criticizing 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.
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 Giuseppe Verdi鈥檚 鈥淟a Forza del Destino.鈥� There were some scattered boos during the curtain call, but Dominique Meyer, the CEO and artistic director of La Scala, defended Netrebko at the time. 鈥淭here isn鈥檛 a Netrebko in every generation,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we are lucky enough to have her here in the theater, we must be warm and applaud her.鈥�
Most American institutions, though, including the Met, have continued to refuse to engage her because of her past support for Putin and her unwillingness to criticize him now. Netrebko has sued the Met, which severed ties with 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鈥檚 general manager, declined to comment on Netrebko鈥檚 return to the stage. But last year, he criticized Palm Beach Opera鈥檚 decision to host her, saying she has led a 鈥渄isingenuous effort to distance herself from the Russian war effort.鈥�
The Met鈥檚 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鈥檚 board, and Frayda Lindemann, a former president of the Met鈥檚 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 Netrebko would soon be welcomed back in New York.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nobody like her in the world,鈥� she said. 鈥淗er art is beyond any politics.鈥�
Netrebko鈥檚 appearance was a coup for Palm Beach Opera, founded in 1961, which has a history of engaging stars like Luciano Pavarotti and Ren茅e Fleming, but not on an exclusive basis.
James Barbato, who leads Palm Beach Opera, said he was not bothered by Netrebko鈥檚 past record of support for Putin.
鈥淲e feel that politics have no place in arts organizations,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd that Netrebko鈥檚 advocacy for peace is well documented and clear.鈥�
Speaking to the audience before the recital, Barbato tried to play up the rarity of the concert.
鈥淭his is the moment for which opera lovers from across the United States have been waiting for five long years,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he wait is finally over."
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鈥檚 鈥淎driana Lecouvreur,鈥� 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 Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, she said, 鈥淪ince this is a recital, I decided to bring you some beautiful Russian music.鈥�
After a prolonged standing ovation, Netrebko offered a signature encore: Puccini鈥檚 鈥淥 mio babbino caro,鈥� stretching the high notes for maximum effect.
There were shouts of 鈥淏rava!鈥� and 鈥淓ncore!鈥� and an admirer gave Netrebko a bouquet of flowers. She smiled and waved, then disappeared behind a white curtain.
This article originally appeared in . 漏 2025 The New York Times
