Russian conductor, Putin supporter faces backlash from classical music community

Valery Gergiev, a world-renown Russian conductor, has been confronted with criticism both American and European classical music institutions over his longtime support of Russian President Vladimir Putin from, resulting in the loss of key posts and future performances.

On Thursday, Carnegie Hall in New York City announced that Gergiev and Russian pianist Denis Matsuev, another outspoke Putin supporter, would no longer be performing in the three concerts they were scheduled to appear in this weekend.

A spokesperson for Carnegie Hall told NPR that changes were due to “recent world events.” Pro-Ukraine activists had planned to protest the weekend concerts.

Carnegie also announced the next day that two May concerts where Gergiev was set to direct the Russian Mariinsky Orchestra had been canceled.

Gergiev is very close with Putin with ties going back to when Putin was a vocal champion for the arts while vice mayor of St. Petersburg, where Gergiev was director of the Mariinsky (then Kirov) opera and ballet companies. The famous conductor has appeared with on TV with the Russian president multiple times, including a Putin election video in 2012 and a segment supporting Russian military action against Ukraine in Donetsk in 2014, according to NPR.

The Russian conductor has received calls to speak out against Putin from classical music institutions in Europe, with some removing him from key positions and programs after his continued silence.

In the Netherlands, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra threatened to remove Gergiev from his post as honorary conductor and cancel upcoming concerts with him, including a festival in his honor in September.

Gergeiv is also in danger of losing his position as director of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany after the city’s mayor said Gergiev must denounce “brutal war of aggression that Putin is waging against Ukraine” by Monday or be fired.

The cancellations come at an awkward time for the classical music industry, which has been slowly reopening after experiencing unprecedented losses during pandemic shutdowns.