Prominent world conductor backing Putin banned from performing at Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Philharmonic have announced that Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, a friend and prominent supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will no longer be holding a series of concerts this week amid growing international condemnation of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Writes about it The New York Times.

Gergiev, who was scheduled to conduct three high-profile performances at Carnegie Hall starting on the evening of Feb. 25, has come under increasing scrutiny because of his support for Putin, whom he has known for three decades and has repeatedly defended.

The reason for his exclusion from the programs was not called. But the last-minute decision to replace the star maestro, apparently because of his ties to Putin — just days after the Philharmonic chairman insisted that Gergiev perform as an artist and not as a politician — reflected a rapidly intensifying worldwide outrage over the invasion.

Although Gergiev did not speak publicly about the unfolding attack, he supported Putin's past actions against Ukraine, and his appearance at Carnegie Hall was expected to spark loud protests. He has been the target of similar demonstrations during previous speeches in New York amid criticism of Putin's law banning "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations", which was seen as an attempt to suppress Russia's gay rights movement, and its annexation of Crimea.

Carnegie Hall and the Philharmonic also said that Russian pianist Denis Matsuev, who was scheduled to perform with Gergiev and the orchestra, would not appear. Matsuev is also an associate of Putin; in 2014 he expressed support for the annexation of Crimea.

For the three concerts, Gergiev will be replaced by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who will direct a new production of Verdi's Don Carlos at the Metropolitan Opera, where he is music director. Who will replace Matsuev has not yet been announced.

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Both Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Philharmonic have previously defended Gergiev. But Putin's announcement of a "special military operation" in Ukraine made them change their minds.

The activists created the #CancelGergiev hashtag on Twitter and circulated photos of Gergiev next to Putin. They have known each other since the early 1990s, when Putin was an official in St. Petersburg and Gergiev was just starting his career at the Kirov (later Mariinsky) Theatre.

In 2012, Gergiev appeared in a television advertisement for Putin's third presidential campaign. In 2014, he signed a petition welcoming the annexation of Crimea after the Russian Ministry of Culture called on leading artists and intellectuals to support the move. At the time, a state-run newspaper quoted Gergiev: "Ukraine for us is an integral part of our cultural space, in which we grew up and in which we still live."

In 2016, Gergiev held a patriotic concert in the Syrian city of Palmyra, shortly after Russian airstrikes helped push the Islamic State out of the city. On Russian television, the concert was accompanied by videos of Islamic State atrocities, part of a propaganda campaign aimed at instilling pride in Russia's military role abroad, including its support for the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Putin was shown thanking the musicians via video link from his country house on the Black Sea.

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Gergiev has also come under pressure in recent days in Europe, where he has a busy touring schedule. Officials in Milan said he must denounce the invasion or they would cut off his partnership with the Teatro alla Scala, where he staged Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades.

A few days ago, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra announced that Gergiev is a gifted artist and should perform at Carnegie concerts.

"He's a performer, not a politician," said Daniel Froschauer, the orchestra's chairman.

Clive Gillinson, Carnegie's executive and artistic director, has also previously offered support to Gergiev, saying he shouldn't be punished for expressing political views.

Activists who planned to protest against Gergiev's speeches rejoiced at the news of his departure.

“Art should be against aggression,” said Valentina Bardakova, a math and science teacher from New York who helped organize the protests.

Gergiev is scheduled to return to Carnegie Hall in May for two performances with the Mariinsky Orchestra; it is not clear if these performances will take place as planned.

In recent months, Gergiev has performed frequently with the Vienna Philharmonic in Austria and abroad.