Vasko Vasilev is one of the most famous violinists in the world and for this reason he has played in front of some of the most influential people. This has given him the opportunity to see first hand what their attitude towards music is.
“I played at the G20 meeting where the Queen and Putin were. I played for Gorbachev, Todor Zhivkov, Ceausescu…” he recalled on bTV. “I would not say that it is important for me whether these world leaders have appreciated me. They are like all people – some understand music and some don’t.’
How do some former and current leaders feel about music?
“I think that Todor Zhivkov didn’t really care about the music, but Prince Charles plays the lead, he really likes and comes often to the opera,” Vassilev said. “The Queen says she doesn’t like music. She comes to the royal box and they say they even put a TV on her to watch horse races.”
Currently, Vladimir Putin is the most controversial person in the world, but according to Vassilev, he has a positive attitude towards music.
“Putin, I think, loves music because it helps a lot in Russia,” he said. “They say he does it to maintain his image, but there are people who like music and people who like tennis.”
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