(Credit: Julian Hargreaves)

The Gran Teatre del Liceu has confirmed that Anna Netrebko will not perform the 175th Anniversary gala.

The company noted that Netrebko sent a statement noting “I am opposed to this senseless war of aggression and I am calling on Russia to end this war right now, to save all of us! We need peace.”

She added, “This is not a time for me to make music and perform. I have therefore decided to take a step back from performing for the time being. It is an extremely difficult decision for me, but I know that my audience will understand and respect this decision.”

The Liceu is currently looking for a soprano for the gala which will include scenes from “Macbeth,” “La Boheme,” and “Turandot.”