Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev condemned the invasion of Ukraine. His shows are still being canceled.
Liudmila Malofeeva
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Liudmila Malofeeva
Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev condemned the invasion of Ukraine. His shows are still being canceled.
Liudmila Malofeeva
Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev, 20, has condemned his homeland’s invasion and war against Ukraine. But that hasn’t kept his string of concerts canceled in Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver. The arts organizations cite the horrific toll of war on civilians, expressing solidarity with Ukraine – and with Ukrainian members of the community and their staff. But Malofeev’s defenders say he is being unfairly punished.
Malofeev had been to Montreal for three dates with the Orchester Symphonique de Montréal, when concerts were cancelled.
The orchestra said it would not be appropriate for Malofeev to perform, adding, “We look forward to welcoming this exceptional artist when the context allows,” according to the statement. Montreal Gazette.
Malofeev expressed disappointment via Facebookapologized to the audience and said his concerts had been canceled “for political reasons.”
“Honestly, the only thing I can do now is pray and cry,” the pianist said in another post this week. “There seem to be obvious conclusions: no problem can be solved by war, people cannot be judged by their nationality. But why, in a few days, the whole world fell In a situation where everyone has a choice between fear and hatred?”
The famous young pianist said he is often asked to make statements about Ukraine – but he added, “I feel very uncomfortable about this and also think it could affect my family in Russia .”
In describing the dilemma he was facing, Malofeev added, “I understand that my problems are very small compared to those of people in Ukraine, including those close to me. I live there.”
After the invasion of Russia, OSM performed the national anthem of Ukraine, say it “desire to carry the global message of music” and unite cultures. But after the Russian pianist’s performance was halted, one commenter on that post asked: “If music is a common message of peace, why are you banning Malofeev from performing? He’s for peace and he’s against war!”
In the US, recently, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City dropped the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko from upcoming performances, due to her long relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Malofeev recently had a concert in August canceled by the Vancouver Recital Society. Like many arts institutions, it is resuming its live show after a lengthy pandemic delay. But now they are also dealing with the setbacks of their decision not to organize Malofeev.
Vancouver Recital Association say it can’t “present a concert by any Russian artist at this point unless they are prepared to speak out publicly against this war.”
Malofeev then posted“The truth is that every Russian will feel guilty for decades for a terrible and bloody decision that none of us could have influenced or predicted.”
In an update in response to that announcement, the Vancouver speak, “We are very grateful for his words.” They do, however, stress the need to show solidarity with Ukraine – and a desire to prevent “even a penny” of the proceeds of their concerts from going to the Russian government.
The performance association also said that if Malofeev performed, it would likely spark protests and demand more security.
The Vancouver Foundation said: “The truth is that many people in our city have no interest in this concert at the moment.
