Denounce Putin or lose your job: Russian conductor Valery Gergiev given public ultimatum

Star conductor and close friend of Putin dropped by his management ahead of deadline to speak out or be fired from Munich Philharmonic

Russia’s star conductor, Valery Gergiev, has been dropped by his management over his close ties to Vladimir Putin as he faces a looming deadline to publicly denounce the Russian president or lose yet another role in his rapidly crumbling career.

The 68-year-old Russian, an old friend and supporter of Putin, has faced increasing pressure to speak out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over the last week. He has been removed from performances around the world and faces more professional punishment if he does not condemn Putin’s aggression in the next 24 hours.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...