Anna Netrebko and her manager Miguel Esteban have stated that she would return to the Metropolitan Opera only after the departure of current General Manager Peter Gelb.

In an email to the New York Times, Esteban said,  “Anna Netrebko will be happy to consider an invitation to return to the Metropolitan Opera — after the departure of its current general director.”

The comment comes in response to Peter Gelb’s criticism of the Russian soprano returning to the United States to perform a gala for the Palm Beach Opera.

Gelb told the New York Times that it was an “unfortunate decision” and he felt that Netrebko had made a “disingenuous effort to distance herself from the Russian war effort.” He also added that the only condition for her return to the Met would if “she can a sing a recital at the Met tomorrow if it was to benefit Ukraine.”

This is the latest in a contentious relationship between Gelb and Netrebko since the General Manager ousted her for her alleged past support of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Netrebko condemned the war in Ukraine on three occasions but Gelb said it was not sufficient and criticized the soprano for over a year. She later sued the Met and its general manager for defamation and breach of contract in a case that is pending.

Since being fired from the Met, Netrebko performed with many of the leading theaters in the world including the Wiener Staatsoper, Salzburg Easter Festival, Paris Opéra, Arena di Verona, Teatro alla Scala, and Berlin’s Staatsoper unter den Linden to sold-out and critical acclaimed performances. Additionally, she has not returned to Russia since the beginning of the war.