Jonas Kaufmann Will Not Return to the Metropolitan Opera or Royal Opera House
By Francisco SalazarJonas Kaufmann has revealed that he will not be returning to the Metropolitan Opera or the Royal Opera House.
In a new interview with the Times of London which is set to air on Jan. 2 on the BBC, the tenor said that he had no plans with either theaters for several reasons.
At the Met, Kaufmann said he didn’t like the way the chorus or orchestra were treated during the pandemic. He said, “I felt very bad about how they treated the chorus and orchestra in the pandemic. They didn’t get paid at all. Musicians had to move out of New York or move in with their parents. I did a live-streamed concert and asked listeners to donate. That didn’t go down well.”
Meanwhile, at the Royal Opera House, he said he would not return due to the pay and costs. He said, “In London you see the fees and you see the outrageous cost of renting an apartment, I don’t know how you do it. In London it’s a project where you have to bring the money.”
He added, “I feel we have to be paid for what we do… Do you hear what I am saying between the lines?”
Kaufmann also noted that he didn’t like the system of signing contracts five years in advance and worried about the next generation of singers. He also said that he is set to perform in a production of “Billy Budd” (no details revealed). The tenor also noted that he would like to invite Anna Netrebko to perform at the Tiroler Festspiele, where he is the Artistic Director.
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