Two piano legends pay tribute to Putin victim

Message received:

On November 18, an exceptional concert will bring together two of the greatest pianists of our time, Grigory Sokolov and Sergei Babayan, at Salle Cortot in Paris. This event, organised in tribute to Pavel Kushnir, a brilliant pianist who tragically passed away in prison in July 2024, will be held in support of the atelier des artistes en exil.

Fiercely opposed to the war, Pavel Kushnir moved to a remote region of Russia’s Far East, near the Chinese border, to “distance himself from the capitals” and avoid being forced to perform at patriotic events. A passionate interpreter of Frédéric Chopin, he dedicated the final months of his career to Chopin’s Mazurkas in a series of 51 educational radio broadcasts. For him, highlighting these works — symbols of resistance against Russian occupation in 19th-century Poland — was an act of artistic defiance. His activism, also expressed in a series of YouTube videos, led to accusations of “terrorist activity” and his imprisonment in May 2024. After two months of detention marked by violence and a hunger strike, Pavel died on July 27. No official investigation into his death has been conducted.

The tribute concert to Pavel Kushnir offers a unique opportunity to celebrate his courage and demonstrate the solidarity of leading musicians of our time in the face of injustice and barbarism. Grigory Sokolov and Sergei Babayan, two world-renowned artists, will share with the audience a program of works by Chopin, Schumann, Schubert, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff.

Tickets are available now, accompanied by a call for donations. All ticket proceeds and funds raised will be donated to the atelier des artistes en exil, a Paris-based NGO supporting creators forced into exile due to conflicts or political repression in their home countries.

This concert reminds us that art transcends borders and hardships, and is an essential vehicle for freedom and hope. By honouring Pavel’s memory, this event aims to support all artists fighting for their values and freedom.

The concert is organised by the Aùrion Association and the record company Little Tribeca.

PROGRAMME
– Date: November 18, 2024
– Venue: Salle Cortot, 78 Rue Cardinet, 75017 Paris
– Time: 8:00 PM

All proceeds will be donated to the atelier des artistes en exil.

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT

As musicians, we wish to voice our support for all artists throughout the world who are oppressed, and sometimes forced into exile. Pavel Kushnir chose internal exile and had the courage to speak out against war. He paid with his life.

We will be in spirit at the concert given by Grigory Sokolov and Sergei Babayan in Paris on 18th November and join wholeheartedly in this hommage to Pavel which is also an expression of solidarity with all artists suffering repression today.

Signed by : Martha Argerich, Alexeï Aiguï, Jacques Attali, Daniel Barenboim, Elena Bashkirova, Andrey Boreyko, Yefim Bronfman, Semyon Bychkov, Adam Fischer, Kirill Gerstein, Maria Gortsevskaya, Augustin Hadelich, Thomas Hampson, Janine Jansen, Paavo Järvi, Vladimir Jurowski, Evgeny Kissin, Alexander Korsantia, Gidon Kremer, Dmitri Kourliandski, Igor Levit, Elena Lisitsian, Alexei Lubimov, Misha Maisky, Alexander Melnikov, Julian Milkis, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maria Nemtsova, Polina Osetinskaya, Dina Parakhina, Kirill Petrenko, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Beatrice Rana, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Donald Runnicles, Andreas Scholl, Olga Shkrygunova, Katia Skanavi, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Dima Slobodeniouk, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Alexandre Tharaud, Christian Thielemann, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Elena Toponogova, Lilya Zilberstein.