Franz Welser-Möst: I won’t appear at Kennedy, but please don’t boycott the USA

The music director of the Cleveland Orchestra has written a commentary on recent events for the Backstage Classical site. In it, the Austrian conductor spoke out strongly against artist boycotts, arguing that ‘culture must remain a place of dialogue.’

Extract:
What would it mean for an orchestra like the Cleveland Orchestra if all its guests from Europe suddenly cancelled their concerts with us? I’m fairly certain that this would endanger the very existence of our ensemble. This would punish an orchestra supported by many humanist patrons in a largely democratic city. It would be fatal if such islands of responsibility were suddenly left alone. Boycotts of American cultural institutions would likely lead to the USA becoming an intellectual desert. And this would support a policy that accepts precisely that: the insignificance of culture.

I advocate that we (especially as European artists) engage intensively with the cultural scene here before making decisions about how to deal with the US. That we understand its structures, its deep roots in society, and its importance for democratic discourse.

Would I personally perform at the Kennedy Center right now ? Probably not—the politics there and the government crackdown irritate me too much. But that makes it all the more important to support places where culture is celebrated as a form of debate, humanism, and human dignity. Especially now. We must believe in the power of music—and assert it.

Read the full article here.