☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

Opera legend Renée Fleming on how Russia's war in Ukraine has impacted classical music

January 17, 2023
GZERO Staff
Opera Legend Renee Fleming on How Russia’s War in Ukraine Has Impacted Classical Music | GZERO World

youtu.be

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

More from GZERO Media

Deputy Head of Content

GZERO Media is seeking a Deputy Head of Content to create and manage daily content offerings including our newsletters, breaking news updates for social channels, digital video, podcasts, and branded content as needed. This role reports directly to the Chief Content Officer and will be responsible for writing, editing, and creating content as well as overseeing the work of reporters and creators. This position is based in our New York City global headquarters.

Canada faces a choice between the US and China

Then-Bank of England Governor Mark Carney shakes hands with then-Chinese Premier Li Keqiang before the 1+6 Round Table Dialogue meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, in Beijing, China, on September 12, 2017.
REUTERS/Etienne Oliveau/Pool

Questions lurk over how Mark Carney plans to engage with China, as the United States warns allies against dealing with Beijing.

Will Canada come under the Golden Dome?

US President Donald Trump announces he has selected the path forward for his ambitious Golden Dome missile defense shield, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Chris Kleponis/Pool/Sipa USA

Donald Trump wants to protect the United States from ballistic and hypersonic missiles with a “Golden Dome,” and Canada, officially, wants in.

Elbows … up? Down? Which direction?

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gives a thumbs up as he departs after meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on May 6, 2025.
REUTERS/Leah Millis

Mark Carney won the Canadian election largely by adopting a pugnacious “elbows up” posture against the Trump administration. Now that he’s in office, he’s adopted a more diplomatic posture.

About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.