“In the midst of the Ukraine crisis, a number of Russian performing artists are speaking out against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many of them come from the worlds of classical music, ballet and theater,” writes Anastasia Tsioulcas in Monday’s (2/28) National Public Radio. Czech Philharmonic Music Director Semyon Bychkov, “who was born in St. Petersburg but now lives in Europe, canceled his planned performances with the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra … in Moscow that were planned for June…. The youth orchestra is affiliated with the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, which is led by Valery Gergiev…. The Russian-born conductor Kirill Petrenko … made a statement on Friday with the Berlin Philharmonic, where he is chief conductor. Petrenko wrote: ‘… I am in complete solidarity with all my Ukrainian colleagues and can only hope that all artists will stand together for freedom, sovereignty and against aggression.’ … Alexei Ratmansky, who is the former choreographer at the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow and currently the artist in residence at American Ballet Theatre in New York City, left Moscow in the midst of preparing a new ballet at the Bolshoi that was supposed to premiere on March 30…. Laurent Hilaire resigned his post as artistic director of ballet of Moscow’s Stanislavsky Ballet.”
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