Festivals
Vienna Festival weeks uninvite Currentzis after Ukraine protest
Author, director and theater director Milo Rau is the artistic director of the Wiener Festwochen. photo
© Gian Ehrenzeller/KEYSTONE/dpa
He did not clearly distance himself from the Russian war of aggression: at Ukrainian insistence, the Vienna Festival disinvited conductor Teodor Currentzis and his SWR Symphony Orchestra.
In the conflict over two war-themed concerts, the Vienna Festival chose the controversial conductor at Ukrainian insistence Teodor Currentzis and his SWR Symphony Orchestra were uninvited again. “In discussions over the last few days it has become clear that presenting both concerts as part of the Vienna Festival is currently not feasible,” said the festival management.
The Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv, who will conduct her compatriot Jevhen Stankovych’s requiem “Babyn Yar” on June 2nd, had previously expressed negative comments about Currentzis’ commitment. The Greek, who also has a Russian passport, has not yet publicly distanced himself from the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
“We respect Lyniv’s wish not to be placed in a contextual context with Currentzis at the moment. Unfortunately, this meant that there was no alternative to our decision to cancel the planned concert under the direction of Teodor Currentzis, whom we value very much as an artist,” said the director Festival weeks, Milo Rau. A performance of Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” was planned for June 12th in the Burgtheater. According to the festival weeks, the two concerts were intended to address the question of responsibility and the limits of art as a utopian space during the festival weeks (May 17th to June 23rd).
Lyniv reacted with relief: “We are glad that the Vienna Festival has found a solution and are very pleased to finally be able to perform the Kaddish Requiem “Babyn Jar” in Vienna.” For the Vienna performance, a current contemporary Ukrainian piece will also be composed by a student of the Kaddish Requiem “Babyn Jar” composer Yevhen Stankovich.
The SWR program director for culture, Anke Mai, regretted the cancellation. Nevertheless, she understood that Lyniv and the members of the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra would have wanted a public statement from Currentzis against the Russian war of aggression. “In view of the consequences that such a confession would have for Currentzis in Russia, we never asked him to do this,” said Mai.