Puccini Festival picks pro-Russian artistic director
NewsThe Festival Puccini at Torre del Lago has appointed Jan Latham-Koenig as its next artistic director, starting next week.
Koenig, 69 and a UK citizen, is one of few westerners still taking engagements in Moscow.
Three years ago, he was appointed OBE by Queen Elizabeth ‘for services to music and UK/Russia cultural relations’.
The haste of his appointment at Torre del Lago suggests a measure of panic and a lack of due diligence.
Pro-Russian what? Pro-Putin? A lover of Russian culture and language (like millions of other people)?
Please specify.
Don’t pretend to not understand. He works in Russia and supports the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Douglas Nasrawi, agreed, let’s not pretend to not understand and let’s not pretend to know. I am sure you have incontrovertible evidence of his support for the invasion to share with us
Show me the evidence for this [redacted: abuse]
Not true
There’s your Russian culture:
https://twitter.com/MiklSvetlov/status/1667992941313359874?s=20
The level on which you argue is scaringly low.
You prefer vids of Russian soldiers raping women and children instead of pigs?
Or are you more of a goat connoisseur?
Big difference between being Pro Russian and Pro Putin.
If I enjoy Wagner’s operas does that make me an antisemite?
For heavens sake Norman, stop stating stuff that simply isn’t there. What you’re doing is quite slanderous.
Agreed, this is McCarthyism at its worst
I met him once many years ago in Vienna. He was a thoroughly nice and cultured man.
Ah, so he should starve to death because he makes decisions with which you disagree. Glad that’s sorted out.
Yes, because there’s only “starving to death” and being an “artistic director” abroad. Nothing in between.
Hey, shitty guys, the political correctness is temporary, the art is eternal. DO NOT Metoo, diversity, pro/con russians and many other western shits, because finally all really talented peoples will gone and you play yourself.
“The haste of his appointment at Torre del Lago suggests a measure of panic and a lack of due diligence” and total ignorance of the fact of Russian aggression and of crimes that Russia constantly commits in Ukraine.
He is a criminal person and should not be allowed to stand in front of an orchestra anymore. I have been working with him in Chile many years ago. I hope to never see him again.
He is NOT a good conductor and a rather selfish (or narcicist) person lacking charisma…
He was very corrupt when he conducted and was artistic director of Mexico’s Ofunam. He only invited Russian artists, who were represented by his agency. belittled Mexican musicians and soloist and was waiting for a fly to go to the director’s office and ask for a replacement, who coincidentally was aligned with his financial, not his artistic interests. Hope he never comes back to Mexico. before covid the opera had hired him to conduct Lady Macbeth. luckily the production was cancelled and until now it hasn’t been reinstated. You guessed it right! He suggested and imposed Russian singers!
It seems that Latham Koenig is just a mediocrity at the podium. The Strasbourg Orchestra and the Vienna Ópera NEVER invited him back after his appointments…
Seems that the same thing happened in Chile and Mexico. Don’t waste your time attending his awful concerts, please !!