The Vienna Philharmonic, shown here at the Musikverein in Vienna, will perform at Carnegie Hall this weekend, with conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin substituting for Valery Gergiev.
“Valery Gergiev, a conductor who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, will not lead the Vienna Philharmonic in a five-concert U.S. tour that starts at Carnegie Hall on Friday night,” reads an unsigned article in Thursday’s (2/24) Associated Press. “The 68-year-old Russian conductor … has often voiced support of Putin, who has been widely condemned for ordering an invasion of Ukraine that began Thursday. ‘This change was made due to recent world events,’ Carnegie Hall spokeswoman Synneve Carlino said.… The Philharmonic would not comment when asked whether the decision was made by the orchestra, Gergiev or Carnegie. The move came after Milan’s famed Teatro alla Scala [asked] Gergiev … to make a clear statement in favor of a peaceful resolution in the Ukraine, or he would not be permitted to return to complete his engagement conducting Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Queen of Spades.’ … Online posts in recent days had promised protests at Carnegie Hall…. The [Vienna Philharmonic] travels to Hayes Hall in Naples, Florida, for performances on Tuesday and Wednesday…. Yannick Nézet-Séguin will replace Gergiev for the Carnegie concerts…. Russian pianist Denis Matsuev will not perform as scheduled on Friday. In 2014, Matsuev said he supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea.”
