Ukraine urges Maryland Orchestra to cancel Russian violinist

The Embassy of Ukraine in the United States has called on the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra in Maryland to cancel the participation of Russian violinist Vadim Repin in concerts scheduled for this fall.

The embassy stated this on Facebook, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

The "Forces of Nature" concerts featuring the Russian performer are scheduled for November 6–7 at Maryland Hall.

"The decision to invite Mr. Repin raises serious concerns given his documented involvement in Russian state-sponsored and state-linked cultural initiatives," the embassy said in its post.

The diplomatic mission recalled that Repin performed at a concert organized by a Kremlin foundation to honor Russia's "great defenders."

It also noted that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Repin's Arts Development Foundation has received significant funding from the so-called Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives of the Russian Federation.

The embassy noted that a number of cultural institutions have already reconsidered their cooperation with Repin. These include the Mannheim Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany, the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Palm Beach Symphony Orchestra in Florida, which canceled the Russian violinist's performance in March.

"We hope the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra will give these concerns careful consideration and reaffirm the solidarity with Ukraine it demonstrated in 2022, when it withdrew Mr. Repin from its program and replaced his performance with a musical tribute to Ukraine," the embassy emphasized.

As previously reported, Repin's performance in Budapest was canceled following efforts by the Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary.

Photo: Instagram/vadim_repin_private