Ukrainian conductor Yuriy Kerpatenko was murdered in his home in Kherson by Russian forces after refusing to participate in a concert performance organized by Russians.

Per the Ukrainian Minister of Culture, the 46-year-old was the conductor of the Mykola Kulish Kherson Music and Drama Theater, the Kherson Regional Philharmonic, and the Gileya Chamber Orchestra. He refused to leave and throughout the early part of the year spoke out openly against the Russian invasion.

The concert, which was set for Oct. 1, 2022, was organized by Russian occupants of Kherson, one of the first cities to fall to Russia at the start of the invasion this year. The Gileya Chamber Orchestra was scheduled to appear in the performance with Kerpatenko set to conduct. But he refused to take part.

“I have seen too much silence from Russian colleagues,” said conductor Dalia Stasevska per The Guardian. “Would this be the time for Russian musicians, especially those living and working abroad, to finally step up and take a stand against the Russian regime’s actions in Ukraine?”

When the invasion commenced, Western institutions stated that they would no longer back artists who were either affiliated with or continued to work for state-run theaters in Russia such as the Mariinsky. However, in the past few months, this policy has been loosened to the point that protegés and artists closely associated with Putin backer Valery Gergiev have become major forces at important western institutions.