Amid growing tension in the classical music world, recent weeks have seen renewed debate over the place of politics on stage. The protests that disrupted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert in Paris — with flares set off inside the Philharmonie — and the continuing cancellations of Russian artists in the wake of the war in Ukraine have reignited conversations about how musicians are treated in times of conflict. Two artists, Aigul Akhmetshina and Anna Geniushene, have now spoken out publicly, calling for dialogue, understanding, and the defence of art as a space for connection rather than division.
In a heartfelt statement shared on Instagram, mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina reflected on the pressures faced by artists “because of politics, religion, nationality, or simply because society needs somewhere to unload its frustration.” She described art as “the opposite of division,” writing:
“Art is not meant to divide. Art is meant to unite.”
The Russian-British singer, who grew up in Bashkortostan, stressed that “diversity is beautiful” and that art should remain a refuge open to all. She urged institutions to protect artists from political pressure and recalled the 1980 UNESCO declaration defending freedom of artistic creation. “Let’s choose kindness — not division. Let’s create — not cancel,” she wrote, calling art “one of the last lights that reminds us who we truly are.”
Echoing that sentiment, pianist Anna Geniushene — a finalist at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition — also reacted to the recent protests. In her post, she questioned why musicians are still expected to “represent a country” and lamented that her colleagues “have to face hostility and hatred from the audience simply because [they] walked on stage.” “Music belongs to everyone,” she wrote, calling the interruptions at the Israel Philharmonic concert “a humiliation of the whole art.”
Both artists’ messages, widely shared among colleagues and audiences, underline a growing fatigue within the musical community toward division and hostility. In different words, Akhmetshina and Geniushene defend the same idea: that art transcends nationality and politics and remains one of the few places where people can still meet, listen, and feel together.
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