The concert hall is thus complying with the wishes of the Ukrainian ambassador in Austria. The St. Petersburg-based ensemble is funded by Russia’s VTB bank, which has been hit by sanctions.
The Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft regrets the cancellation, but the Ukrainian ambassador Wassyl Chymynez asked on Friday “to refrain from involving Russian artists in benefit concerts for the benefit of Ukraine”.
Currentzis conducted yesterday
“The Vienna Konzerthaus must not ignore the political dimension of the performance of a St. Petersburg-based orchestra at the time of immeasurable suffering caused by the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We understand and share the despair at the war crimes in Ukraine and condemn them this aggression without restriction,” said the director of the Vienna Konzerthaus, Matthias Naske. The board of directors of the Konzerthausgesellschaft has also decided to “temporarily suspend the sale of concerts involving musicAeterna for the 2022/23 season until independent financing of the orchestra has been secured”. Aside from the benefit concert, Currentzis still gave a concert with musicAeterna in the Konzerthaus last night.
Naske had defended the benefit concert and all other Currentzis evenings on Friday: “I believe that people can be connected through music. But I am aware that the political dimensions are delicate for everyone involved.”
Source: Nachrichten
