On Oct. 14, following the Trump administration’s decision to sign a deal with Russia for oil, General Manager Peter Gelb reaffirmed the Met Opera’s unwavering support for Ukraine and its people in their fight for liberty in these particularly unjust times.

To that effect, conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin led the Met Orchestra in the Ukrainian national anthem, with the entire audience in the hall standing during the performance. 

Since the war broke out in Ukraine in February 2022, the Metropolitan Opera has supported Ukraine and has also worked alongside the Polish National Opera to form the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra. It has also invited the First Lady of Ukraine who held a fundraiser, and invited Ukrainian soldiers and the Ukrainian ambassador to a performance of “Tosca” starring Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska.

In the spring of 2023 the Met displayed the Ukrainian flag on the facade of the theater for four weeks. On August 24, 2023, the company observed Ukrainian Independence Day and in September 2023 General Manager Peter Gelb received Ukraine’s Order of Merit.

Gelb also famously fired numerous Russian artists due to their alleged closeness to Putin and has noted that in Russia Putin pays the bills. However, he has been inconsistent in his criteria as many artists currently performing at the Met continue to perform alongside Putin ally Valery Gergiev in the Putin-run Mariinsky Theatre and Bolshoi Theatre.

 

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