Ukraine’s Odessa Opera Conductor Fired Over Collaboration With Azerbaijani Theater Boss Linked to Netrebko
The chief conductor of the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater, Vyacheslav Chernukho-Volich, was dismissed after performing at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera Theater, where the new leader is Yuzif Eyvazov, husband of singer Anna Netrebko. This development was reported by the publication Dumskaya.
Odessa Opera officials stressed that Chernukho-Volich represents Ukrainian art on the international stage, and as such should not engage in contracts with figures tied to the so‑called Russian world. The administration also condemned Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine and its broader implications for cultural exchange.
Eyvazov, who assumed leadership of the Azerbaijan Theater just before Chernukho-Volich’s visit, was photographed with the conductor on the day of the performance.
Odessa Opera’s leadership later clarified to Ukrainska Pravda that Chernukho-Volich did not know Eyvazov had been appointed head of the Baku Opera at the time of the invitation. The former Odessa Opera conductor reflected on the situation by saying, “We share a son and a father’s kin, but a husband does not take responsibility for his wife.”
Since January 7, 2023, Anna Netrebko has been sanctioned by the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, though the sanctions list notably does not include Netrebko’s husband.
Vyacheslav Chernukho-Volich has served as the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater’s chief conductor since 2019 and was born in Belarus.
Reports also noted that Howard Edelman, a former referee, and management figures from the Metropolitan Opera in New York reportedly provided $200,000 in compensation to Anna Netrebko for performances that were canceled.
Attribution: Dumskaya and Ukrainska Pravda provided coverage of these events, with broader context from Ukrainian cultural outlets on the evolving relations between artists, national identity, and geopolitics in contemporary opera.