Russian Maestro, Shunned in West Over Putin Support, Will Conduct in Italy
Mr. Gergiev, a staunch ally of Mr. Putin who has helped promote the president's policies, is set to conduct on July 27 at the Royal Palace of Caserta, a historic site north of Naples, the Un'Estate da RE festival announced last week. He will lead an orchestra from Salerno, Italy, in a program featuring performers from the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, which Mr. Gergiev leads.
The announcement drew protests from Italian politicians and activists, who expressed concern that Mr. Gergiev was being allowed to perform again in the West. Mr. Gergiev, whose extensive international career once made him one of the busiest maestros in the world, has been declared unwelcome in the United States and Europe since the Russian invasion.
Mr. Gergiev did not respond to a request for comment.
The decision to engage Mr. Gergiev also drew criticism because the festival is bankrolled by the European Union. Its funding flows, via Italy's national government, to a company owned by the Campania region, where the festival takes place. The company funds several cultural events throughout the region, including Un'Estate da RE.
Pina Picierno, a left-leaning Italian politician who serves as a vice president of the European Parliament, said that it was 'unacceptable that European funds are being used to finance the performance of a Kremlin supporter.' In a post on X, she called on the festival and on regional officials 'to take immediate action to prevent Valery Gergiev's participation and ensure that taxpayers' money does not end up in the pockets of a supporter of a criminal regime.'
Vincenzo De Luca, the center-left president of the Campania region, defended the festival's decision to engage Mr. Gergiev in a statement. He said the invitation showed that 'dialogue between people can grow and the values of human solidarity can develop.'
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