The Russian National Orchestra has not renewed founder and artistic director Mikhail Pletnev’s contract.

The orchestra, which was founded by the conductor in 1990,  said that “The decision of the orchestra’s directors is linked to the need to map out a long-term strategy for the orchestra, but that is impossible without an artistic director.”

Pletnev has been living in Switzerland since 2021 and said “since the end of 2020, there has been practically no creative contact between the orchestra and its artistic director.”

Pletnev recently created a new orchestra Rachmaninov International Orchestra which will include 18 musicians from the Russian National Orchestra and other members from the Bratislava Philharmonic as well as several musicians from Ukraine.

Throughout the past months, the conductor and pianist has been silent about the Ukrainian War.