Metropolitan Opera Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin addressed gun violence during a concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, where he is also Music Director.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, before performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, the conductor said, “Just since we’ve been playing this fabulous set of concerts to end the season with you all, just this week, just in our city, 30 people have been shot by gun violence, five people have been killed by guns just in our city. We’re way past the time for thoughts, prayers, and all of that.”

He added, “We all understand we are one society…We are one society and we need to take care of that society. We need collectively to do so.”

He closed his remarks by noting, “But as musicians, what we can do which is the most powerful is to be messengers — messengers of the great geniuses of the past and the present who are showing us the way, to aspire to peace. Let this performance we are about to give you as a farewell to our 2021-22 season be true words of reminders of what we all aspire to — joy, peace, harmony between everyone, every living organism on this earth.”

The conductor is among the many classical musicians who have spoken out against gun violence following more than a dozen mass shootings this past month. Many singers and musicians have taken to social media to share their views on the matter including Isabel Leonard, Jamie Barton, and Ryan McKinny, among others.