Germany cancels Russian violinist's concert following appeal from Ukraine: what was the reason?
The Mannheim Philharmonic Orchestra cancelled a concert featuring Russian violinist Vadim Repin scheduled for 22 February following an official request from the Ukrainian Embassy in Germany. This was reported by BackstageClassical. The performance was to take place on the eve of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The orchestra explained that the letter from the Ukrainian diplomatic mission clearly and reasonably outlined the concerns of the Ukrainian community in Germany. This was the basis for the unanimous decision to cancel the event. The Philharmonic emphasised that it has been supporting Ukrainians affected by the war for many years, so it treated the appeal with the utmost attention and respect.
Earlier, the Mannheim city authorities stated that the concert was private in nature and not subject to direct state regulation. However, after the Ukrainian Embassy sent official letters to the mayor and the event organisers, the position was revised and the performance was cancelled.
The diplomatic mission's appeal emphasised that Vadim Repin had participated in the Kremlin's state cultural initiatives for many years and had received awards and financial support from the Russian authorities. It also noted that after the start of the full-scale war, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation.
This is not the first time that events involving the musician have been cancelled. Earlier, a ballet evening featuring his wife, Bolshoi Theatre prima ballerina and former United Russia party deputy Svetlana Zakharova, was cancelled in Florence.
At the same time, despite the decisions in Germany and Italy, Vadim Repin remains in the programme of the Swiss festival Les Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad, where his performance is scheduled for 30 January. Responding to journalists' questions, the festival's artistic director, Renaud Capuçon, explained the decision to continue the collaboration by saying that he believes music is one of the few tools that can preserve dialogue between people.
Who is Vadim Repin?
Vadim Repin is a Russian and Belgian violinist who currently lives in Vienna. He made his international debut at the age of 14, performing in Tokyo, Munich, Berlin and Helsinki, and a year later at Carnegie Hall in New York. At the age of 17, Repin became the youngest winner of the violin section of the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels.
The musician is known for his performances of Russian and French classical repertoire, in particular the great Russian violin concertos. His wife is ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, who was previously a member of the Russian State Duma from the United Russia party. Repin himself has not held public office and has publicly avoided making direct political statements.
At the same time, in April 2022, Vladimir Putin awarded him the title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation. In February 2024, Repin performed with the State Kremlin Orchestra at a concert for Defender of the Fatherland Day, organised by the Kremlin Foundation. In 2025, the musician broadcast a concert with the Russian National Orchestra to an audience in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Also, in June 2024, Ukrainian violinist Dmytro Udovychenko refused to shake hands with Vadim Repin after his victory at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels.
Vadim Repin, Mannheim Philharmonic, cultural sanctions, Russia's war against Ukraine
