The team behind the upcoming production of Verdi’s “Un Balo in Maschera” production at the Slovak National Theatre has withdrawn due to the abrupt decision by Slovakia’s culture minister, Martina Šimkovičová, to dismiss Matej Drlička as General Manager.

In an open letter by director Karolina Sofulak, set designer Charles Edwards, costume designer Dorota Karolczak, Lightning Designer Giuseppe di Iorio, and choreographer Tim Claydon, the team said, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the decision to withdraw our concept, designers, and participation in the production following the unconscionable actions of Slovak’s Minister of Culture. In support and solidarity with Martin Leginus, we will not lend our names to legitimize the new apparatchik management of SND, and allow for opera to be trumped by politics yet again.”

The letter added, “We are writing this open letter to you in hopes that this case might serve as an example of how political appropriation of public institutions such as opera houses affects the very survival of the genre.”

The team also said that the production of “Un Ballo in Maschera” was ready and hoped to showcase their production at another institution.

The new production of “Un Ballo in Maschera” was set to be presented in May 2025.

Earlier last month Drlička and Alexandra Kusá were removed from the Slovak National Opera and the Slovak National Gallery by the Ministry of Culture due to “political activism,” and an alleged preference for foreign over Slovak opera singers, among other reasons. Opera Europa condemned the actions noting that the decisions “signaled a troubling threat to artistic freedom in Slovakia.”