Italy cancels concert by pro-Putin conductor after controversy

The administration of the Royal Palace of Caserta, in southern Italy, announced on Monday (21) the cancellation of the concert conducted by Russian maestro Valery Gergiev, close to President Vladimir Putin and the target of criticism in the West for not condemning the war in Ukraine, scheduled for July 27.

The invitation extended to Gergiev, 72, sparked intense controversy in the country, including a petition signed by intellectuals and Nobel Prize winners calling for the artist's banishment from Italy. Furthermore, there were fears of possible protests organized by Ukrainian associations for Sunday night.

"The management of the Royal Palace of Caserta has cancelled the symphony concert conducted by Valery Gergiev, scheduled for July 27 in the courtyard of the Vanvitelliano Complex, as part of the 'Un'Estate da Re' (A Summer for a King) festival," a brief statement said.

In recent days, more than 700 people, including several Nobel Prize winners and intellectuals, signed a petition calling not only for the concert to be banned, but also for an investigation into the use of public funds for Russian propaganda-related events within the European Union (EU).

However, the case generated different reactions in Italy: some institutional representatives, such as the vice-president of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno, of the Democratic Party (PD), criticized the invitation to the director, while others, such as the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Scalfarotto, warned of the "risk of cultural censorship".

In turn, Italy's Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli stressed that Giergiev's concert "could transform a high-level musical event" into "a sounding board for Russian propaganda," something he called "deplorable," even though "art is free and cannot be censored."

In his opinion, Gergiev's concert would risk "sending the wrong message." According to reports, Ukrainian associations in Italy were also ready to organize protests and had already purchased front-row tickets to the concert to make their dissent heard by the Russian.

On the other hand, the Moscow Embassy in Italy emphasized that the "Belpaese", and not Russia, will suffer damage from the cancellation of Gergiev's concert in Caserta.

"Those who think that canceling Valery Gergiev's performance will harm Russia are deeply mistaken," the diplomatic headquarters said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel.

"Instead, the damage will be inflicted on Italy itself, which undermines its own authority and gives reason to doubt its hospitality and openness to all those who, with their talent, professionalism and sincerity, bring beauty and timelessness to the world," the Russian Embassy concluded.