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The concert planned for the end of July in Italy, to be led by the internationally acclaimed Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, has been canceled amid ongoing controversy.
Gergiev, recognized for his close association with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was due to lead a performance on July 27 at the Caserta Royal Palace near Naples, as part of a cultural festival. This event has sparked significant debate within the country.
Italian media agency ANSA reports that the organizers of the Caserta Royal Palace, the venue for the festival, decided to cancel the concert in response to the controversies linked to the Russian maestro.
The decision to cancel the concert was met with approval by Ukraine supporters in Italy.
The Russian Embassy in Rome responded via Telegram, arguing that those who believe canceling Gergiev’s concert harms Russia are mistaken, claiming instead that the real loss is to Italy’s own credibility.
Press reports noted that Gergiev’s scheduled July 27 concert at the Caserta Royal Palace would have effectively lifted the European ban on his performances, but this was reversed.
The news of Gergiev conducting a concert in Italy sparked backlash, particularly from Ukrainian advocates in Italy, including Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in 2024. The Italian government also distanced itself from the event.
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli warned that the concert could be seen as propaganda, emphasizing, “Art is free and should not be censored, but propaganda is different—even if presented skillfully. Therefore, the concert by Putin’s ally Valery Gergiev, funded and requested by the Campania Region at the Caserta Palace, risks sending the wrong message.”
A petition was launched calling for Gergiev to step down from the concert, but Vincenzo De Luca, the head of Campania’s regional government who invited Gergiev, rejected calls for cancellation.
Previously, Gergiev’s planned performance at Milan’s La Scala, scheduled shortly after Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, was canceled because he did not publicly condemn the attack.
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