Renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev’s gig at Italian palace canceled amid outcry over support for Putin

Rome — A classical music concert in Italy has been canceled suddenly following a public backlash over the Russian conductor’s support for President Valdimir Putin. 

Russian maestro Valery Gergiev had been scheduled to lead an ensemble of Italian musicians and soloists from St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre — where he’s the artistic director — on July 27 at the Reggia di Caserta, an opulent 18th-century palace near Naples.

Italy’s national news agency ANSA said the venue had canceled the concert, offering no explanation. A representative at the Reggia di Caserta confirmed the cancellation to CBS News over the phone.

The move came after criticism from Italian lawmakers, human rights advocates and Russian political dissidents.

Among the most vocal opponents to Italy welcoming Gergiev was Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. She condemned Gergiev’s public support for the Kremlin and accused the conductor of using his platform to legitimize Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

In a message posted on social media, Navalnaya called news of the cancellation, “not joyful, but good.”

“No artist who supports the current dictatorship in Russia should be welcomed in Europe. It is precisely thanks to regime loyalists like Gergiev that Putin tries to promote his image as a ‘respectable person’ in the West,” she said. “It’s a small step, but great victories are built from such small steps.”

Gergiev, once lauded in the West as the “Wild Man of Music,” has become a contentious figure in recent years, particularly in Europe, where a range of institutions have sought to distance themselves from artists aligned with the Russian government.

Gergiev’s refusal to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has cost him engagements at other top-tier venues, including New York’s Carnegie Hall and Germany’s Munich Philharmonic, where he previously served as chief conductor.

The cancellation drew sharp criticism from the Russian Foreign Ministry, which on Wednesday accused Italy of cultural censorship and claimed the move was the result of Ukrainian pressure.

“We strongly condemn such discriminatory attempts at ‘cancel culture,’ carried out by the Italian authorities,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement, accusing Italy of caving to pressure from Ukraine.

Italian officials did not immediately comment publicly on the cancellation.