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Amidst the escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia, Valery Gergiev dropped out of his Carnegie Hall tour. The Russian conductor and opera producer was a vocal supporter of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
While no reason was provided over his departure, it is likely instigated by Ukraine-supporting activists, who protested Gergiev's appearances in tours and shows. Furthermore, Dieter Reiter, the mayor of Munich, Germany, publicly threatened to remove the conductor from the Munich Philharmonic.
However, Reiter would make an exception if Gergiev publicly condemned Russia on the situation that escalated on Monday, February 28.
The Vienna Philharmonic dropped Gergiev's five-concert U.S. tour that starts at Carnegie Hall on February 25. Meanwhile, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra has also removed the artist from the show for publicly supporting Putin's actions.
Valery Gergiev faces backlash amid Russia-Ukraine crisis
Gergiev's next appearance was slated to be in Milan on March 5. However, the Milan-based Opera house "La Scala" has made similar demands for the conductor to publicly clear his stance on the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
As per Fox News, Milan Mayor and LaScala's president, Giuseppe Sala, said in a public statement:
"We are asking him to take a clear position against this invasion, and in the case in which he doesn't do it, we are constrained to renounce the collaboration."
What is known about Valery Gergiev and his support for Putin's decisions?
The 68-year-old Russian conductor Valery Abisalovich Gergiev has been associated with Vladimir Putin since the early 1990s when the latter was involved with Saint Petersburg's administration.
Gergiev started his career as a conductor in 1978 and debuted his musical prowess in front of an English audience in 1985 when he appeared in the U.K. at the Lichfield Festival. Since his debut, the Russian conductor has won multiple accolades for his contribution to the music industry.
These include the "Order of Merit for the Fatherland" from Russia in 2003 and 2008, "Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion" in 2005, and "Officer of the Legion of Honor" from France in 2007, amongst a plethora of other awards.
Valery Gergiev has showcased support for the Russian president Vladimir Putin on multiple occasions, even before his presidency. During Putin's presidential campaign, Gergiev appeared in an ad for the former in 2012. Two years later, the 68-year-old conductor also supported the Russia-Crimea situation.
Furthermore, in 2016, the musician director conducted a concert in Syria's city, Palmyra. Before this concert, Russia had just launched its drone strikes on Syria.
