Latest news with #Caserta
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Italy uninvites controversial pro-Putin conductor from Caserta classical concert
An Italian classical music concert has uninvited a famous Russian conductor who's known to be a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Valery Gergiev was meant to participate in A King's Summer festival (Un'Estate da Re) on 27 July that's organised by the Royal Palace of Caserta and held in the courtyard of the Vanvitellian Complex, close to Naples in southern Italy. However, his inclusion in the event had been fiercely criticised by Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny who died in a Russian Arctic penal colony in 2021. "This is good news. No artist who supports the current dictatorship in Russia should be welcome in Europe. It is precisely thanks to regime supporters like Gergiev that Putin tries to promote his image as a 'decent person' in the West," Navalnaya wrote on X commenting on the cancellation of the concert."The free and unquestionable choice taken by the Directorate of the Reggia di Caserta has my full and convinced support," commented Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, who had already intervened on the issue, distancing himself from the decision to invite Gergiev to the festival and siding with those who described the concert as a boost to Russian propaganda. 'While respect is due to the exceptional artistic quality of the event, the cancellation of the concert conducted by Maestro Gergiev obeys a logic of common sense and moral tension aimed at protecting the values of the free world,' the ministry's note reads. Euro Chamber vice-president Pina Picierno, among the first voices to rise against Gergiev's hosting in Italy, expressed satisfaction on X: 'We explained, we fought, we believed and we won! Thanks to all of you, Campania will not host an ambassador of Putin. For those who want to, we will see you on Sunday evening with the flags of Europe, in front of the Reggia, to celebrate the strength and beauty of democracy'. The Christian Association of Ukrainians in Italy also rejoiced. "This is a victory of common sense and human and Christian values over the Kremlin's criminal policy. It is a small victory, but it is another step towards the common victory of good over evil,' wrote association president Oles Horodetskyy. The association was ready to organise protest initiatives and had already bought tickets for the first rows of the concert to make its dissent felt by Gergiev. There has been no comment from Campania's governor Vincenzo De Luca, who had described the affair as 'disconcerting', wondering where 'the limit between freedom of expression of one's opinion and propaganda' was and emphasising his desire to confirm the concert despite international appeals. Several Nobel Prize winners had even spoken out against the Russian maestro's participation, with letters sent to European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, Italian authorities and de Luca himself. An online petition had garnered more than 16,000 signatures. Romanovsky's case in Bologna Meanwhile, media attention is rapidly shifting to a similar case involving authorities in Bologna.** The city is preparing to host the Ukrainian pianist and naturalised Italian Alexander Romanovsky as part of the CUBO summer festival,* that's financed by Unipol. Romanovsky became famous for having played for the (Russian) cameras on the rubble of the Mariupol theatre, which Moscow forces had bombed in the first weeks of the invasion of Ukraine, killing hundreds of civilians who had taken refuge journalist Marco Setaccioli has led much of the criticism demanding the cancellation of the 5 August event, citing Romanovsky's appearances on pro-government Russian channels as evidence of his 'willingness to lend himself to the Kremlin's propaganda machine.' In January 2024, La Sapienza University in Rome called off one of Romanovsky's concerts in response to anger from pro-Ukraine activists and their supporters.
CTV News
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
A concert in Italy by Russian conductor Gergiev is cancelled after protests
Valery Gergiev at the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia, on May 1, 2013. (Dmitry Lovetsky / AP) ROME — A concert by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been cancelled, organizers in Italy announced Monday, following protests against giving the stage to the conductor who has been largely barred from European venues for failing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Gergiev had been invited to conduct during a summer festival at the Royal Palace of Caserta near Naples next Sunday. The regional governor, Vincenzo de Luca, had defended the invitation, saying that 'the logic of preclusion … does not help peace.'' The invitation had been widely criticized by human rights activists, Russian opposition figures and European parliamentarians. Gergiev, who is head of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Russian state theaters, is considered close to President Vladimir Putin. Milan's La Scala was the first theater in the West to cut off relations with Gergiev, who was engaged at the theater when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, after he failed to respond to Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala's appeal to speak out against the war. The Associated Press
Russia Today
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Star Russian conductor's concert in Italy canceled
A concert in Italy by renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been canceled following pressure from Brussels and supporters of Ukraine, ANSA news agency reports, citing the organizers. Gergiev, one of Russia's most acclaimed musicians, was set to perform at the Un'Estate da RE festival in Caserta on July 27 with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Salerno. On Monday, the Royal Palace of Caserta's management announced the cancelation. No official reason was given, but the move followed backlash from EU officials, Ukrainian communities, and Kiev supporters after the concert was first announced. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli welcomed the decision to cancel the performance, saying it reflects 'common sense and moral responsibility aimed at protecting the values of the free world.' Gergiev has faced criticism for refusing to denounce Russia's military operation against the Kiev regime, resulting in his dismissal from the Munich Philharmonic and bans across the West since 2022. Last month, European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno called for him to be replaced in the concert. This followed calls to cancel Gergiev's concert from Ukraine supporters across the EU. Local media reported plans by Ukrainians and Russian opposition groups to stage demonstrations on the night of the performance. A number of officials, including Campania Governor Vincenzo De Luca, however, defended the decision to host Gergiev, arguing that culture should remain separate from politics. In a Facebook post over the weekend, De Luca condemned attempts to silence artists while Western officials 'do nothing' to advance peace in Ukraine. 'Should we silence all musicians, conductors, sopranos, athletes, and sportsmen?... This would be absurd and intolerable… Do you really think that these demagogic attitudes help build peace? It's exactly the opposite,' De Luca said. 'Discrimination does not serve peace… The best way to open a dialogue, to bring us closer to peace, is to bring people together, not set up walls.' Gergiev has not yet commented. He is among numerous Russian artists whose performances in the West have been canceled over the Ukraine conflict. Moscow has condemned the bans as Russophobic censorship.
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
A concert in Italy by Russian conductor Gergiev is canceled after protests
A concert by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been canceled, organizers in Italy announced Monday, following protests against giving the stage to the conductor who has been largely barred from European venues for failing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Gergiev had been invited to conduct during a summer festival at the Royal Palace of Caserta near Naples next Sunday. The regional governor, Vincenzo de Luca, had defended the invitation, saying that 'the logic of preclusion … does not help peace.'' The invitation had been widely criticized by human rights activists, Russian opposition figures and European parliamentarians. Gergiev, who is head of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Russian state theaters, is considered close to President Vladimir Putin. Milan's La Scala was the first theater in the West to cut off relations with Gergiev, who was engaged at the theater when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, after he failed to respond to Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala's appeal to speak out against the war.
Washington Post
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
A concert in Italy by Russian conductor Gergiev is canceled after protests
ROME — A concert by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been canceled, organizers in Italy announced Monday, following protests against giving the stage to the conductor who has been largely barred from European venues for failing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine . Gergiev had been invited to conduct during a summer festival at the Royal Palace of Caserta near Naples next Sunday. The regional governor, Vincenzo de Luca, had defended the invitation, saying that 'the logic of preclusion … does not help peace.''
