Dear friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that I will not be joining the Met on its current tour to Japan. This was an incredibly difficult decision for me; it was made on a very personal level with a great deal of pain and conflicting emotions. My family and friends have suffered in many ways for years from the effects of radiation from Chernobyl. While I make no comparisons now between Japan and Chernobyl, I made a deeply personal and difficult choice not to join the Met on this tour based on my past experiences. I want to take this opportunity to express my sympathy for the Japanese people and the crisis they are facing. Their strength is an inspiration to me, and I am very sorry to disappoint them. I look forward to returning to Japan to perform in the future.
Sincerely,
Anna Netrebko
