Andras Schiff
(c) Nadia F Romanini
Hungarian pianist András Schiff has canceled all concerts in the US for political reasons.This was announced by the musician’s agency.
He has now justified his decision by saying that he does not live in an ivory tower. Art and politics are inseparable.
The canceled concerts include Schiff’s solo tour planned for the fall, as well as guest appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.
He said: « Some people might say, ‘just shut up and play.’ I cannot, in good conscience, do that. We do not live in an ivory tower where the arts are untouched by society. Arts and politics, arts and society are inseparable. Therefore, as artists, we must react to the horrors and injustices of this world. Have we learned nothing from the course of history — as recently as Europe in the 1930s? Perhaps not. »
