Joseph Calleja is coming to the defense of Anna Netrebko as she prepares her return to the Royal Opera House.

In a recent article by the Observer about her return the tenor said, “First of all, nobody is a prophet,” the tenor stated “If my president calls for me to give a performance, am I supposed to have a time machine to see what’s going to happen 20 years down the line? I’m not sure why the Met took that decision. Peter Gelb is a good friend, so I’m sure he has his reasons. But not allowing someone with this level of ability to sing, I think, is a disservice to opera. The Royal Opera House did a very good thing to bring Anna back.”

The tenor, who has performed with Netrebko on multiple occasions, added, “It’s very tough on people. You can use art to make a point, by all means. But use the medium, use the art. Don’t pick a singer and derail a career. If Anna becomes a lightning rod for negative things, instead of for the overwhelming positive things she’s achieved and her beautiful voice, then it will be a big pity.”

The article also saw Alexander Molochnikov, a celebrated Russian theatre, opera, ballet and film director exiled from St Petersburg, give his opinion and noted, “I supported Ukraine on my Instagram from day one. From the minute I saw the news, I think I posted a Ukrainian flag and was writing things in support.”

He went on to receive threatening messages on Telegram and added, “It was quite scary. It’s heartbreaking that I wouldn’t be able to visit where I grew up or to be with my grandparents. It’s a horrible feeling. It’s incomparable to Ukrainians who have lost someone. It’s a small thing, but it’s my little tragedy.” He noted that he thinks Netrebko is “an amazing opera singer” who should perform wherever she can.

However Peter Gelb, the Metropolitan Opera’s General Manager, who is currently in the midst of  a lawsuit with Netrebko and has multiple cease and desist letters against him, ensured himself a cameo in the conversation, stating, “I am certainly not going to tell the Royal Opera House what to do. But I do feel strongly about the position the Met has taken … I can look myself in the mirror and feel I’ve done the right thing.”

He also noted, “You can’t have cultural exchange with a country that is trying to kill millions of people. Today, it would be a big mistake to even try to divorce art from politics. Art has to be used as a weapon for good. Certainly, Russia and Putin have used cultural propaganda for years. In today’s world, where Russia is trying to annihilate Ukraine and deny its very cultural existence, it is more important than ever that art be weaponised against these forces. When you think about it, this is much bigger than just the war in Ukraine. It’s really a fight for the free world, for the democratic world, and it has to be won. And cultural leaders and cultural institutions have to be part of that fight, in my opinion.”

Despite his comments, Gelb has repeated invited Russian artists to perform at the Met, despite the fact that they have consistently performed at such Russian state funded houses as Bolshoi Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre, and Zaryadye Hall, All three houses have endorsed Putin’s policies and even fired artists for speaking out. Among those artists appearing at the Met this upcoming season and at Putin’s venues are Elena Stikhina, Igor Golavatenko, Maria Barakova, Kristina Mkhitaryan and Liparit Avetisyan.

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