Met Orchestra Musicians Object as Gelb Orders Ukrainian Anthem

Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb ordered the company's orchestra to play the Ukrainian national anthem last night, immediately before the start of Verdi's Macbeth, Slippedisc reports.

The request came without advance notice. Some members of the orchestra objected to the sudden instruction, according to the report. Those who declined were asked to stay outside and not perform the anthem — a response that, as Slippedisc notes, "only exacerbated the situation."

No explanation was offered to the musicians by the general manager, the report states. Slippedisc also points to a personal dimension: Gelb's wife, conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, is described in the report as a Ukraine activist.

The timing carried political weight. Slippedisc framed the performance as falling "on the day Trump betrays Kyiv," linking the Met's decision to a same-day shift in US policy toward Ukraine.

What happened before Macbeth?

The sequence, according to Slippedisc, unfolded in three steps:

• The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra received a sudden request to play the Ukrainian national anthem before the performance of Verdi's Macbeth.
• Some orchestra members objected and were asked to wait outside rather than perform.
• General manager Peter Gelb offered no explanation for the decision to the musicians.

Slippedisc published what it describes as the order itself, reproducing the instruction in an image accompanying its report.

Why does the timing matter?

Slippedisc connects the anthem performance to a specific political moment, stating in its headline that it occurred on the day "Trump betrays Kyiv." The site, founded by critic Norman Lebrecht, presents the episode as an intersection of institutional programming and breaking US foreign policy toward Ukraine.

The report's framing raises a governance question for the company: whether a major artistic institution should deploy its musicians in a political gesture, and on what authority, when players themselves have not been consulted or briefed. The Met Orchestra is one of the largest ensembles in American opera, and any instruction affecting its members before a curtain necessarily involves dozens of musicians at once.

The involvement of Gelb's household adds a further layer. His wife, the conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, is identified by Slippedisc as a Ukraine activist, a fact the report implies is relevant context for the general manager's decision.

What comes next?

Slippedisc has not reported any follow-up statement from the Met or from orchestra management. The musicians who objected have not been named, and the Met has not, according to the report, publicly addressed the episode.

The incident leaves open questions about internal communication at the company — whether musicians will be consulted on future political gestures, and whether the Met will clarify who authorized the anthem performance and why it was scheduled without prior notice to the players themselves.