Munich Philharmonic Fires 'Pro-Putin' Maestro Conductor

"Refusal to State Position on Russia's Invasion of Ukraine"

Valery Gergiev Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Valery Gergiev, the world-renowned conductor from Russia known as a fervent supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been dismissed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany.

Dieter Reiter, Mayor of Munich, announced on the 1st (local time), "Chief Conductor Gergiev refused our demand to clearly distance himself from Russia's brutal war of aggression."

The city of Munich had initially issued an ultimatum by the 28th of last month, stating that if Gergiev did not clarify his position on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he would not be able to retain his position as chief conductor.

Known as the "Tsar on the Podium," Gergiev previously served as chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic in the Netherlands and the London Symphony Orchestra in the UK, and has been the chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic since 2015.

Mayor Reiter said, "We hoped Gergiev would reconsider his positive evaluation of President Putin, but he did not."

Having maintained a close relationship with President Putin since the early 1990s, Gergiev has faced strong criticism since the 2014 Crimea crisis. At that time, he issued a statement of support along with 19 other figures from Russia's cultural and artistic circles.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Gergiev has been successively ousted from the global music scene in countries including the United States, the Netherlands, and Italy.

New York's Carnegie Hall replaced Gergiev with Yannick N?zet-S?guin, the principal conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, for the Vienna Philharmonic concert he was scheduled to lead on the 25th of last month.

Italy's world-renowned opera house La Scala notified Gergiev that unless he clearly supports a peaceful resolution to the current crisis, he will not be allowed to conduct the opera "The Queen of Spades" in March.

The Rotterdam Philharmonic, which has held an annual Gergiev Festival since 1996, plans to cancel the event in September if he does not withdraw his support for President Putin.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.