Ukraine asks US orchestra to drop Russian-born violinist, citing ties to Kremlin-backed cultural initiatives
The orchestra dropped Vadim Repin from a March 2022 program after Russia's full-scale invasion, then re-booked him for November.
The Ukrainian Embassy in the USA has requested the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra to cancel the participation of Russian-born violinist Vadim Repin in their upcoming concerts on November 6-7 at Maryland Hall. The request is based on Repin's involvement in Russian state-sponsored and state-linked cultural initiatives. This comes after the orchestra previously canceled Repin's participation in March 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Embassy argues that Repin's associations with Kremlin-backed cultural initiatives pose a diplomatic issue, as they view such performers as bringing state honor and money onto the stage. The orchestra has not directly addressed the reversal, but their program notes highlight the healing power of music and the need to reject politics of revenge.
The Ukrainian Embassy hopes the orchestra will consider these concerns and reaffirm their solidarity with Ukraine.
Brief written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
