Overview
- The Arena di Verona Foundation said Thursday that Abdrazakov had withdrawn from Don Giovanni set for January 18–25 in Verona and gave no reason.
- The decision followed campaigning by Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, which criticized the singer’s support for Vladimir Putin.
- Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli endorsed the move as rejecting the arts being used for despotic power, and European Parliament vice-president Pina Picierno praised it on X.
- Abdrazakov has documented ties to the Kremlin, including a recent state award, a seat on Putin’s cultural council, leadership of the Sevastopol opera, and campaigning for Putin in 2024.
- The move reflects a wider pattern in Europe, with Italy also canceling Valery Gergiev’s concert in July, even as Verona’s website continues to hail Abdrazakov as a leading bass.