Opera Australia Will Fulfill Tamar Iveri Contract For "Otello"

UPDATE: Opera Australia has severed ties with Ms. Iveri, who will no longer be singing in the Otello. Full details are here. The company will announce a replacement soon. (June 23, 2014)
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Tamar Iveri is already seeing
cancellations of engagements.

"Opera Australia has just published a statement regarding allegedly homophobic soprano Tamar Iveri, stating that the singer has apologised and rehearsals and performances will go on as planned. Iveri (pictured) who is from the central Asian country of Georgia and is currently in Sydney rehearsing for Otello and will perform in Melbourne later this year, has been plagued by controversy following allegations she penned a homophobic diatribe on her Facebook page in which IDAHOT supporters in the capital city of Tblisi were branded 'fecal masses.' Georgian LGBTI rights group Identoba published a translation of the post which Iveri was said to have subsequently taken down. 'I was quite proud of the fact how Georgian society spat at the parade,' said the translation. The message goes onto to implore Georgian’s President to 'stop vigorous attempts to bring West’s 'fecal masses' in the mentality of the people by means of propaganda. Even today, US ambassador said that the people who raided the rally yesterday were against NATO. No, Mr Ambassador: those, who yesterday raided the rally, are Georgian youth of pure blood, still unspoilt by you,' the translation continues. Identoba directed the comments to the National Opera of Paris who have reportedly now withdrawn an invitation for the singer to perform. With a social media campaign calling on Opera Australia to sack Iveri continuing to grow, and a Change.org petition circulating as well, Opera Australia published a statement regarding the allegations on its Facebook page at 12noon today. 'Opera Australia has become aware in the past 24 hours, of the media and social media coverage of comments reported to have been made by soprano Tamar Iveri,' the statement read. 'The company has made the singer aware of the response from the Australian media and people via social media. Tamar Iveri has sought to clarify her views on this important issue, and has issued an apology and explanation on her own Facebook page. This can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/tamariverisoprano. Rehearsals and performances at Opera Australia are continuing as planned.' Iveri reportedly blamed her husband for rewriting her original letter, which she said she deleted as soon as she saw his homophobic remarks and how it was under her name. The Georgian soprano is currently in Sydney rehearsing for her role as Desdemona in Otello at the Sydney Opera House, before heading to Melbourne in November to perform in Tosca." [Source]