St. Gallen Festival Cancels Tchaikovsky Work Due to Russian Invasion of Ukraine

By David Salazar

The St. Gallen Festival has canceled its forthcoming performance of Tchaikovsky’s “The Maid of Orleans.”

The company announced that “In view of the unabated ongoing war in Eastern Europe, we cannot justify performing a Russian work in public space whose music is based on acts of war.”

The company will replace the Tchaikovsky opera (which focuses on Jeanne d’Arc) with a performance of Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco,” also about the famed historical heroine. This performance is slated for June 24, 2022.

This is the latest company to cancel a Russian work due to the ongoing war brought about by the Russian invasion of Ukraine by President Vladimir Putin. The Prague National Opera previously announced that it would be canceling a production of Tchaikovsky’s “Cherevichki” because it felt that the work espoused a view that favored Russian imperialism.

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