Russian opera star and soprano, Aida Garifullina, courageously takes the stage at Bolshoi Theater, amidst the controversy surrounding the Russian opera company. Recently, opera houses and institutions around the world have banned collaborations with Bolshoi Theater due to political tensions with Vladimir Putin and the war with Ukraine. Anna Netrebko was recently cancelled and banned from the Metropolitan Opera and Teatro alla Scala among others, due to her silence in denouncing Putin, as well as all Russian artistic institutions being cancelled such as the famous Bolshoi Theater. Despite her fellow Russian colleague receiving devastating blows to her career, Aida Garifullina continues to associate with the Russian opera theater and its 'ties to Vladimir Putin.' We are all waiting to see what will happen to the Russian opera star with well over a million followers on Instagram, and being the most followed opera singer in today's modern world.
Aida certainly hasn't denounced Putin, yet she hasn't been cancelled from any of her upcoming performances. She exclaimed her excitement for her upcoming performances and association with the Bolshoi Theater in a recent statement on Instagram,
“And now I’m glad to be home and perform La Traviata at the @bolshoi_theatre on March 18th and 20th. See you there !!!” -Aida Garifullina
Aida is set to perform 'La Traviata' in the role of Violetta beginning on March 18 at the Bolshoi Theater. She has future engagements with major opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, where she is set to perform in their production of “Le Nozze di Figaro” in April. We will see if the Metropolitan Opera replaces Aida due to her affiliation with the Russian opera company and her refusal to denounce Vladimir Putin.
If Anna Netrebko isn't above being cancelled, is Aida Garifullina going to meet the same fate?
At Opera Culture, we support all artists regardless of political affiliation. We support their right to have their own thoughts, ideas, and opinions, and their own choice whether to speak on political matters or to stay silent for personal reasons. We remain neutral and hope that all artists have the right to free speech without retaliation affecting their livelihoods or even danger to their lives. Political dissonance can be very dangerous and we do not force anyone to make public statements that would put them at risk.