Italian Organizers Cancel Gergiev Concert Amid Growing Outcry Over Kremlin Allegiance

Concert organizers in Italy have called off a scheduled performance by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev amid escalating criticism regarding his connections to the Kremlin, as reported by the Italian news agency ANSA.

Gergiev, who has been a vocal supporter of President Vladimir Putin and has been heading the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow since December 2023, has faced significant backlash in the West due to his refusal to condemn Russia’s outright invasion of Ukraine.

His symphony concert, originally set for July 27 at the Reggia di Caserta near Naples, was advertised as a memorable musical experience.

While ANSA did not disclose its sources, it indicated that the cancellation was made due to the increasing public outcry.

Gergiev later expressed to the state-run TASS news agency that he had not received any notification regarding the cancellation of the concert.

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, both criticized the invitation extended to Gergiev, cautioning that it could serve as a tool for Kremlin propaganda.

Additionally, Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation urged Italian officials to revoke the concert.

An online petition opposing the event collected over 16,000 signatures, as reported by ANSA.

In a statement issued later on Monday, Russia’s Ambassador to Italy Alexei Paramonov expressed his “dismay at the excessive controversy and aggressive rhetoric” present in the Italian media concerning Gergiev’s invitation to perform at the Reggia di Caserta.

“The sensational uproar surrounding the July 27 concert… seems highly inappropriate and out of context,” Paramonov remarked. “Clearly, those who disseminate hate lack any genuine artistic sensitivity.”

He further lamented witnessing an Italy whose government, contrary to its commitments to uphold national sovereignty and interests, now yields to the pressures of Ukrainian immigrants and other lobbying groups.

For over twenty years, Gergiev has supported Putin’s policies and has participated in government events celebrating Russian military triumphs.

One of his most controversial performances took place among the ruins of Palmyra in Syria, following Russia’s intervention to back President Bashar al-Assad.

He also played in 2008 in South Ossetia, a Georgian region under Russian military authority, in close proximity to a detention facility holding Georgian civilians.

AFP contributed to this report.