Ukraine asks Salzburg Festival to drop a conductor

The Ukrainian ambassador to Austria, Wassyl Chymynez, has condemned a scheduled appearance at the Salzburg Festival by the Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis with his Putin-funded MusicAeterna orchestra.

The ambassador said any appearance by this group at Salzburg would send ‘a very inhumane signal’ in light of Russia’s invasion.

In an interview with the tabloid Kronen-Zeitung, the ambassador said Vladimir Putin knows how to ‘use art very cleverly.’ Currentzis’ silence on the invasion makes it ‘very clear that he tolerates all of this. It shows that he is a part of this whole system. If the Salzburg Festival is not ready to understand that, because perhaps of economic considerations, then those responsible for this institution run the risk of losing their self-esteem.’