Overview
- Fondazione Arena announced that Abdrazakov will not take part in Don Giovanni at Verona’s Teatro Filarmonico scheduled for January 18, 21, 23 and 25, 2026.
- Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli endorsed the cancellation, stating that culture is welcome when it fosters dialogue rather than serves as propaganda.
- Navalny’s Anti‑Corruption Foundation had called for the removal, describing Abdrazakov as a public Putin supporter and noting his role at the Sevastopol Opera in Russian‑occupied Crimea.
- The civic group Liberi oltre le illusioni previously urged the publicly backed foundation and venue to drop the artist over his alleged political alignment.
- The move fits a wider pattern in Italy, following the scrapped Valery Gergiev concert at the Reggia di Caserta and the cancellation of Abdrazakov’s San Carlo engagement earlier in 2025.