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After his concert in Vancouver was cancelled, Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev has spoken out against the impact the Russian invasion of Ukraine is having on Russian music.<\/p>\n
The 20-year-old pianist\u2019s concert with the Vancouver Recital Society was cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in Kyiv. The society\u2019s founder and artistic director Leila Getz explained that the decision had been made because the society could not \u2018present a concert by any Russian artist at this moment in time unless they are prepared to speak out publicly against this war.\u2019 It was due to be Malofeev\u2019s Canadian debut, having previously won the 2014 International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. He has performed with many of Russia\u2019s leading ensembles and conductors, including the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and Valery Gergiev, who has recently faced a major backlash because of his ties to the Russian president Vladimir Putin<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n The young pianist responded to the statement on Facebook, writing, \u2018The truth is that every Russian will feel guilty for decades because of the terrible and bloody decision that none of us could influence and predict.\u2019<\/p>\n He followed this up with an additional statement, outlining his discomfort about the effect the Russian conflict will have on musicians and the \u2018hatred going in all directions, in Russia and around the world.\u2019 He also touched on the fear felt by musicians and asked \u2018why, in a few days, has the whole world rolled back into a state where every person has a choice between fear and hatred?\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018I still believe Russian culture and music specifically should not be tarnished by the ongoing tragedy,\u2019 he wrote. \u2018People cannot be judged by their nationality.\u2019<\/p>\n In reference to the Vancouver Recital Society\u2019s claims that he had been asked to speak out publicly against the Russian invasion, Malofeev described having been contacted by journalists, asking for statements, but that he had felt \u2018uncomfortable\u2019 about how it could \u2018affect [his] family in Russia.\u2019<\/p>\n