Federal Judge Allows Russian Soprano’s Discrimination Case Against Met Opera to Proceed

Russian soprano Anna Netrebko is allowed to proceed with her lawsuit against the Metropolitan Opera, claiming national origin and gender discrimination after the Met dropped her for refusing to repudiate President Vladimir Putin amid Russia's campaign against Ukraine. U.S. District Judge Analisa Nadine Torres reinstated the national origin discrimination claim, stating the allegations suggest a minimal inference of discrimination, particularly as Netrebko was replaced by non-Russian artists such as Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska. The judge also allowed Netrebko's gender discrimination claim to move forward, noting that male Russian singers with ties to Putin, like Evgeny Nikitin, Igor Golovatenko, and Alexey Markov, continued to perform at the Met. The American Guild of Musical Artists previously filed a grievance on her behalf, with an arbitrator ruling that the Met violated the union’s collective bargaining agreement by canceling her contracts for three productions and awarding compensation. Netrebko's legal team also filed a supplemental complaint alleging a defamatory campaign by Met General Manager Peter Gelb in retaliation for her lawsuit. The Met has expressed confidence that Netrebko's claims will not succeed but has not provided detailed public comments on the latest ruling.