In a message posted on his Facebook account, Tugan Sokhiev announces his decision to resign from his position as musical director of the Orchester National du Capitole de Toulouse, which he has held since 2008. The Russian conductor announces that he also give up his position as musical director and chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.
Tugan Sokhiev faced with ” the option impossible to choose » between its Russian and French musicians “beloved”
At the beginning of last week, a few days after the start of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, the mayor of Toulouse (twinned city with Kiev) had asked by mail that Tugan Sokhiev, the musical director of the Orchester National du Capitole of Toulouse (ONCT), speaks to Toulouse residents ” on the current situation ». That response came this Sunday in the form of a statement the Russian leader posted on his Facebook page.
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Tugan Sokhiev confides in it that he had to ” some time to figure out what’s going on and how to express those complex feelings.” that current events have caused by adding to him being ” very proud to be a conductor who comes from a country as culturally rich as Russia » and also very proud “to be part of the rich French musical life since 2003″. The Russian leader concludes this message by stating: “ forced to face the impossible option of choosing between my beloved Russian and French musicians, I have decided to resign from my position as musical director of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and the Orchester National du Capitole de Toulouse with immediate effect “.
Tugan Sokhiev believes that Russian musicians are victims of ” la Cancel culture «
In this long plea for the independence he has always shown from Russian power, Tugan Sokhiev says he is shocked and offended that some people can question his desire for peace and think that as a musician he can talk about anything other than ” peace on our planet “. He refers to the fact that the Toulouse municipality is questioning the holding of the Franco-Russian Musicales that the 44-year-old chef created in 2019.
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The Russian maestro admits that he can’t bear to witness the way his colleagues, artists, actors, singers, dancers… are ” threatened, treated disrespectfully” and victims of the cancel culture « . According to him, the musicians are there to ” to recall, through the music of Shostakovich, the horrors of war and to be ambassadors of peace”. Tugan Sokhiev will therefore not be present on March 18 and 25 at the Halle aux Grains, in Toulouse, to lead the ONCT, of which he was (until next June) the musical director. A position he also held, since 2014, at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.
Philippe Gault
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