Schaghajegh Nosrati
(c) Irene Zandel
The German pianist Schaghajegh Nosrati is another musician who has cancelled an US, announcing via Instagram that she is not able perform there under the Trump administration. Nosrati, an internationally successful concert and recording artist is assistant to Andras Schiff at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin.
Here is her statement: « It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce my decision to cancel my USA tour planned for this fall. It causes me great emotional pain to observe the direction in which the country is developing under the Trump administration. One of the world’s longest-standing democracies is giving way to an increasingly autocratic regime that claims the right to interfere in cultural institutions and sciences and dismiss masses of people who do not conform to the government’s ideology. It is extremely disturbing to see how facts are being distorted and the American people is being deliberately misinformed, with the result that no one can distinguish between true and false news any more. But more than anything, I am shocked by the complete lack of empathy from political leaders, both in their rhetoric and in their treatment of those who desperately need help.
The very idea of turning Gaza into a ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ is absolutely cynical and inhuman in view of the terrible bloodshed that took place there. Not to mention the recent public humiliation of the Ukrainian president and Trump’s decision to leave Ukraine (and Europe) completely alone in this war … This is not the America that I got to know and love during my previous travels and concert tours. Of course, there is a distinction to be made between the government and the people, and I know so many brilliant and liberal minded Americans who are suffering horribly under the current administration. But the fact that a criminal like Trump has been democratically elected by a majority for the second time is a sad reality that we have to face. As an artist, I feel obliged to take a clear stance and protest against injustice. Canceling my concerts will not change anything politically, but it seems to be a necessary step at a time when clear criticism is required from all public figures. »
