Festspiele sticks to the performance of Currentzis

Currentzis recently sparked controversy over how to treat potentially state-friendly artists from Russia in the West. Markus Hinterhäuser, as director of the Salzburg Festival, has remained open until the end to see if 50-year-old Krentzes can perform in the summer. Now it is clear that he will appear.

Unlike Valery Gergiev or Anna Netrebko, Krentzis never drew attention due to his closeness to Putin. On the contrary, according to Hinterhäuser: “Krantzes has never remotely sided with Putin.” An obstacle to participation in Salzburg, the Russian VTB Bank, which is included in the Western sanctions list, is the main sponsor of the currentzis Orchestra MusicAeterna.

Criticism of the technical director of double standards in the media

“Explain to me how you want to establish and finance an orchestra in Russia without state or partial support? For years no one had any problems with various relations with Russia. Now you act as if you could and should know everything” says the festival director: Krentze’s musicians are not members of the state orchestra. They don’t have that security.”

A divergent viewpoint is of course necessary and permitted. “But what we are witnessing at the moment is a crackdown that has absolutely nothing to do with journalism ethics,” Hinterhäuser jumped to hack for Currentzis – with heavy criticism of various journalists and ethical media outlets, which fired the artist.

Wiener Konzerthaus has canceled the benefit party

Other organizers canceled concerts with Currentzis – Wiener Konzerthaus recently canceled a concert dedicated to Ukraine with Currentzis. The reason is the intervention of the Ukrainian ambassador, who requested that Russian artists not participate in concerts for the benefit of Ukraine.