Valery Gergiev's Italian Concert Canceled Amid Protests

A concert by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev was canceled in Italy following protests against his presence due to his failure to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Despite support from regional officials, human rights activists and European figures strongly opposed his invitation to the event.

A concert featuring prominent Russian conductor Valery Gergiev was abruptly canceled in Italy, according to organizers on Monday. This development came after significant protests against Gergiev for his failure to publicly denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has led to his exclusion from numerous European venues.

Gergiev had been scheduled to conduct at a summer festival held in the historic Royal Palace of Caserta near Naples on the coming Sunday. Despite backing from regional governor Vincenzo de Luca, who argued against exclusion policies not fostering peace, the invitation faced criticism from human rights advocates, Russian opposition leaders, and members of the European Parliament.

Gergiev, who leads the esteemed Bolshoi and Mariinsky Russian state theatres, is widely known for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. La Scala, based in Milan, was the first Western theatre to sever ties with Gergiev in early 2022 after he ignored a plea by Milan's Mayor Giuseppe Sala to oppose the ongoing war.

(With inputs from agencies.)