Calay News
The New York Times reported on Friday that an arbitrator has ordered the Metropolitan Opera in New York City to pay Russian-Austrian soprano Anna Netrebko more than $200,000 for performances that were canceled last year. The decision was issued last month by mediator Howard Edelman and orders the opera to compensate Netrebko for 13 canceled performances under a contractual agreement known as “pay or play,” which requires institutions to pay artists even if they later decide not to hire them.
The Met had argued that the artist was not entitled to payment due to her refusal to comply with the company’s demand that she denounce Russian President Vladimir Putin following the start of the special military operation in Ukraine. However, the arbitrator ruled that “there is no doubt that she is a supporter of Putin, as she has a right to be,” and that supporting the head of state “certainly is not a moral turpitude.”
The dispute arose from a disagreement between Netrebko and the Met over the extent of her commitment to the institution. Netrebko claimed she agreed to a performance schedule, but the Met claimed the agreement was not binding and that she had refused to commit to additional appearances.The arbitrator ruled that the agreement was, in fact, binding and that the Met had breached it by canceling the performances.
The case has highlighted the tension between artistic freedom and political pressure, with some arguing that the Met’s demand that Netrebko denounce Putin was an attempt to stifle dissent and limit her artistic expression. The arbitrator’s decision affirms the importance of honoring contractual agreements, while also upholding the principle of artistic freedom.
