“The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has cancelled appearances this week by Ukrainian-born piano soloist Valentina Lisitsa, apparently because of tweets she posted that were hostile to the current Ukrainian government,” writes Robert Everett-Green in Monday’s (4/6) Globe and Mail (Canada). “A terse statement by TSO president Jeff Melanson said Ms. Lisitsa was let go over ‘ongoing accusations of deeply offensive language by Ukrainian media outlets.’ … Her Twitter statements have outraged prominent members of the Ukrainian-Canadian community…. Lisitsa’s tweets about the Ukrainian regime have included some harsh comparisons with Nazi Germany, sometimes laced with morbid comedy…. Lisitsa is an ethnic Russian who was born in Ukraine and speaks Ukrainian (she now lives in North Carolina). Her tweets are strongly supportive of the Russian minority in Ukraine, but she seems to oppose the civil war…. A YouTube video of her performance of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata has more than nine million views. Her career was built in part on her Internet following…. Her replacement for the concerts is Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear.… Mr. Melanson’s statement says, ‘Our priority must remain on being a stage for the world’s great works of music, and not for opinions that some believe to be deeply offensive.’ ”
Posted April 7, 2015
