Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter has threatened to remove Valery Gergiev as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic unless Gergiev publicly says by Monday that he does not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra also said it would drop the 68-year-old Russian’s planned festival there this September if he does not stop supporting Russia President Vladimir Putin.
In addition, the Royal Opera House on Friday canceled a planned tour to London by Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet.
Gergiev is close to Putin and supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
“I have made my position clear to Valery Gergiev and have asked him to clearly and unequivocally distance himself from the brutal invasion that Putin is waging against Ukraine and now in particular against our twin city, Kyiv,” Reiter said in a statement Thursday. “If Valery Gergiev does not take a clear stance by Monday, he can no longer remain chief conductor of our philharmonic.”
