On February 25, the conductor addressed the audience before the opera “The Marriage of Figaro” with a call for peace in Ukraine, and also performed the theme from Beethoven's “Ode to Joy”, which, according to him, best expresses the ideas of peace
Conductor Ivan Velikanov said, that he was suspended from conducting Le nozze di Figaro; at the Golden Mask festival in Moscow after the “anti-war speech”. He wrote about this on his Facebook.
“I hasten to inform you that in connection with my small anti-war speech and the performance of the theme from” Ode to Joy “; Beethoven before the performance on the 25th at the Nizhny Novgorod Opera, I am suspended from conducting Le nozze di Figaro. tomorrow (March 1) in Moscow at the Golden Mask festival,— Velikanov said.
He also expressed gratitude to those who in this situation tried to “defend” him. “I wish the performance and all its participants (including Fabio Mastrangelo, who will be at the podium tomorrow) every success,” — conductor added.
On the morning of February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military special operation in Ukraine, as the main goal, he designated the denazification and demilitarization of the country. After that, Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with Russia and declared martial law and mobilization. Western countries, including the European Union and the United States, condemned Russia's actions and began to impose sanctions.
Many Russian cultural figures spoke out against the hostilities. On February 26, 17 artists, directors and musicians, including Oleg Basilashvili, Igor Kostolevsky, Konstantin Raikin and Vladimir Spivakov and others, signed an appeal to the parties to the conflict calling for them to sit down at the negotiating table. “We call for the preservation of the highest value” human life»,— said in their address
Velikanov, according to him, addressed the public before the opera Le nozze di Figaro. 25 February. “I sang the theme from Ode to Joy” Beethoven, having previously informed the public that this music best expresses the ideas of the world, — the conductor explained.
Ivan Velikanov was born in 1986 in Paris, since 1993 he lives in Moscow. Graduated from the Moscow Conservatory with a degree in composer (2009) and conductor (2012). In 2009 he founded Alta Capella, the first ensemble of historical wind instruments in Russia, and became its artistic director. In 2014 he created and led the Tarusa Chamber Orchestra.
From 2014 to 2017— conductor-assistant of the Moscow Academic Musical Theatre. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. In 2017 he conducted the operas The Magic Flute. and “The Marriage of Figaro” Mozart. In 2021 he made his debut on the chamber stage. Pokrovsky Bolshoi Theatre. On March 1 he was to conduct Le nozze di Figaro. at the Golden Mask festival.