GZERO World Clips
Opera legend Renée Fleming on how Russia's war in Ukraine has impacted classical music
Opera Legend Renee Fleming on How Russia’s War in Ukraine Has Impacted Classical Music | GZERO World
January 17, 2023
Should Russian artists be blamed for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine? In the weeks following the invasion, big stars like Metropolitan Opera star soprano Anna Netrebko or Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra director Valery Gergiev lost their jobs after refusing to condemn Putin.
"I think everyone is on the side of supporting Ukraine. Everyone. I mean, bar none," legendary soprano Renée Fleming tells GZERO on the sidelines of the 2023 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where she received one of this year's coveted Crystal Awards.
Still, Fleming feels sympathetic toward the many Russian artists who've been dropped by employers and audiences. The same goes for those who have been caught in the cross hairs because they were already studying or touring in the US.
The soprano hopes that we keep supporting them because the war will eventually end. But until that happens, she adds, "everyone's support, for the moment, is 100% with Ukraine."
From Your Site Articles
- Ian Bremmer: US support for Ukraine vs fear of Russian escalation ›
- The Graphic Truth: Piling sanctions on Russia ›
- What We’re Watching: China’s Ukraine dilemma, Russian sanctions avoid SWIFT ›
- Russian ruble weathers sanctions storm ›
- A world in need of music therapy: Renée Fleming at Davos - GZERO Media ›
More For You
Ian Bremmer sits down with former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder to unpack a historic shift in the transatlantic alliance: Europe is preparing to defend itself without its American safety net.
Most Popular
Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.
U.S President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pose for a family photo with other representatives participating in the inaugural Board of Peace meeting, at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 19, 2026.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Paraguay, Vietnam – to name only a few.
A poster featuring Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, is installed on a sign leading to the parking area of the Sandringham Estate in Wolferton, as pressure builds on him to give evidence after the U.S. Justice Department released more records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in Norfolk, Britain, February 5, 2026.
REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
British police arrested former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor today over allegations that in 2010, when he was a UK trade envoy, he shared confidential government documents with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.