The European and American boycott of Russian musicians continues

The Champs-Elysees theater in Paris announced, on Wednesday, that the famous Russian conductor, Valery Gergiev, who is close to President Vladimir Putin, will not participate in the upcoming season, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Valery Gergiev was to lead the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, but the concert will be led by another conductor.

The Champs Elysees Theater also canceled a concert scheduled for May 31 by Russian pianist Denis Matsuev, who also supports Vladimir Putin, who also excluded his performances with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the American "Carnegie Hall".

The global cultural scene has distanced itself from Valery Gergiev since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, so European and American orchestras and festivals canceled their commitments to him, including the La Scala Opera House in Italy and Carnegie Hall in New York City. His main ensemble, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, was dismissed from his services, and he was forced to resign his position as honorary president of the Edinburgh International Festival.

Gergiev has raised controversy several times in the last decade due to his closeness to Putin, whom he has known since 1992 and his loyalty to him, for his statements about the annexation of the Crimea, and for his participation in parties in South Ossetia, which witnessed Russian military intervention, or in Palmyra in 2016 alongside the Syrian regime army .

In addition, the Paris Philharmonic Orchestra intends to cancel the participation of artists who expressed pro-Moscow positions, the general director of the troupe, Olivier Manti, told AFP.

The famous Parisian ensemble, which invites an average of four orchestras and dozens of solo artists and conductors of the Russian orchestra annually to participate in its concerts, like most Western musical houses, canceled cooperation with Valery Gergiev.

Olivier Manti pointed out that the Parisian house will decide the fate of the participation of Russian artists in its activities in the coming weeks, but stressed the need to "preserve, to the extent possible, the link with Russian culture and its artists."

On the other hand, he pointed out that some artists "may cancel the participation themselves for other reasons, including those related especially to transportation or security."

The Paris National Opera also expressed its keenness not to "enter into any commitments with Russian cultural institutions, nor with Russian artists who have openly supported the Russian regime", expressing "deep shock at the invasion of Ukraine", according to "AFP".

In the same context, the famous Russian conductor, Vasily Patrenko, announced the suspension of his concerts in his native country, due to the "tragedy in Ukraine." Patrenko is artistic director of the Russian Federation State Academic Symphony Orchestra and conducts the EU Youth Ensemble, the Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

He said the Russian invasion of Ukraine was "one of the greatest moral failures of this century".

Meanwhile, British Culture Secretary Nadine Doris is trying to garner support from her colleagues to impose greater artistic and sporting isolation on Russia, writing in The Telegraph that culture is a "third front in the Ukrainian war".

On Tuesday, the mayor of the German city of Munich announced the dismissal of the main leader of the Munich Philharmonic, Russian Valery Gergiev, for his failure to issue a public position against the military operations launched by President Vladimir Putin against Ukraine.

Gergiev was also forced to resign his position as honorary president of the Edinburgh International Festival. He was excluded from performances with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in "Carnegie Hall" in Manhattan, and replaced the Russian pianist Denis Matsuev.

Gergiev was excluded from the Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland. Two performances by the Russian Mariinsky Orchestra that Gergiev was scheduled to conduct at Carnegie Hall in May have also been cancelled.

Meanwhile, the American rock band "Green Day" canceled its upcoming concert in Moscow.