Soviet and Russian violinist, conductor, teacher, People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Spivakov has been stripped of the title of art director of the International Music Festival in Colmar (France). The official response from the festival organizers cited nationality as the reason for the suspension.
“I learned about the fact that I was stripped of the title of art director of this festival by chance, from the press,” the musician told reporters.
The lawyer who handled the case asked for an official response from the organizers with the reason why Spivakov was stripped of his title, since the artist did not receive any notice of suspension.
“The answer was something like this: on national grounds, Vladimir Spivakov is a Russian artist,” he said.
Spivakov emphasized that he has led the Colmar Festival for the past 32 years.
“And this is in France, where these three famous words once sounded: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (liberty, equality, fraternity – from French),” the maestro was perplexed.Spivakov added that he had invited world-famous musicians to the festival, including American singer Jessye Norman and Russian cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich.
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