The Vancouver Recital Society spent years booking world-class performer Alexander Malofeev, who was finally scheduled to play a Vancouver concert in August.
But the 20-year-old Russian virtuoso’s long-awaited appearance was abruptly canceled this week following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It was a painful choice for the hosts, according to the artistic director of the Vancouver Recital Society, Leila Getz.
“When Putin finally decided to attack Ukraine, I felt in good conscience I couldn’t do that,” he told Stephen Quinn, the CBC host. Early Edition on Friday. “This is sad, I feel very sad for Malofeev.”
“It’s not something I’m proud of or excited about, but it’s something in my heart and in the hearts of my team-mates.”
8:59Canceled the performance of Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev. which will come
The Vancouver Recital Society has made the decision to cancel Alexander Malofeev’s scheduled appearance amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Leila Getz is artistic director of the Vancouver Recital Society. 8:59
He said the concert was simply “postponed,” not cancelled.
But he said he was concerned about how hosting a Russian performer could impact Vancouver’s large Ukrainian Canadian community, as well as whether the show would face protests or endanger his family back home.
“The last thing I want [is] to bring young Russian players to the Orpheum and protest outside and boo inside,” he said.
Several local Russian-Canadian businesses in Vancouver have reported being harassed and threatened since last week’s invasion.
Malofeev could not be reached for comment, and his management company did not return an interview request.
But the Moscow Conservatory student said on Facebook that he had no influence over his country’s president or war decisions.
A post on Malofeev’s official Facebook page relates to the news of the cancellation of his concert in Vancouver.
“The truth is that every Russian will feel guilty for decades for this terrible and bloody decision that we could not influence and predict,” the post read.
In 2014, when Malofeev was 13 years old, he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. Three years later, he won the grand piano competition at the Grand Prix of the International Competition for Young Pianists.
Since then Malofeev has performed with some of the world’s top orchestras, including the Russian National Orchestra, the Prague Philharmonia, the New World Symphony and the Filarmonica della Scala Orchestra.
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