Valery Gergiev, a Russian conductor, was dropped by his management business on Sunday (Feb. 27) due to his ties to Russia President Vladimir Putin.
Since December 2020, the 68-year-old Russian has been handled by Marcus Felsner of Munich, who founded his own management company that year after quitting Opus3.
"In light of the Russian regime's criminal war against the democratic and independent nation of Ukraine, and against the European free society as a whole, it has become difficult for us, and manifestly unwanted, to defend Maestro Gergiev's interests," Felsner said in a statement.
Valery Gergiev, a Russian conductor, was dropped by his management business on Sunday (Feb. 27) due to his ties to Russia President Vladimir Putin.
Since December 2020, the 68-year-old Russian has been handled by Marcus Felsner of Munich, who founded his own management company that year after quitting Opus3.
Felsner praised Gergiev as "the finest conductor alive and an amazing human being with a strong sense of decency," but condemned him for "refusing to, or being unable to, openly terminate his long-expressed support for a dictatorship that has come to commit such crimes."
The move by Gergiev's management comes just days before a Monday deadline set by Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter for Gergiev to formally condemn the invasion. Reiter has stated that if Gergiev does not comply, he will step down as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic.
The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, which launched an annual Gergiev Festival in 1996, has also announced that it will cancel the Russian's planned festival there in September if he continues to support Putin.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, music director of the Metropolitan Opera, took Gergiev's place for three weekend performances of the Vienna Philharmonic at New York's Carnegie Hall. Gergiev will not command the orchestra in two performances this week at Hayes Hall in Naples, Florida. In addition, Carnegie cancelled two May performances by the Mariinsky Orchestra, which were to be led by Gergiev.
Felsner described the breakup as "the saddest day of my professional life."
Sheldon Artists' Doug Sheldon, who represents Gergiev in the United States, did not respond to a text message seeking comment from Gergiev.
