Milan’s famed Teatro alla Scala has announced the celebration of next season’s gala premiere; the company’s 2022-23 calendar was set long before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The festival says it made the change as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; Gergiev, a Russian conductor, is a friend and supporter of Vladimir Putin.
Gergiev’s former manager called him “the greatest conductor alive and an extraordinary human being with a profound sense of decency” but said that in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was “impossible” to defend his interests.
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter has threatened to remove Valery Gergiev as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic unless Gergiev publicly says by Monday that he does not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
