The international initiative Russian Artists Against War has published an open letter demanding the cancellation of Russian violinist Vadim Repin’s performance with the Palm Beach Symphony in the US. The concert is scheduled for 2 March 2026 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.
The appeal notes that Vadim Repin has been closely associated with the Kremlin’s cultural policy for many years and has enjoyed the support of the Russian Federation. He has repeatedly been presented as one of the leading musicians loyal to Vladimir Putin’s regime, and the artist himself has participated in state cultural initiatives and received funding from Russian state sources.
The authors of the letter emphasise that Repin has not publicly condemned Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, despite the mass war crimes committed by the Russian army. The date of the concert is particularly outrageous, they argue, as it is scheduled to take place on the eve of the anniversary of the crimes in Bucha, which they consider morally unacceptable.
The letter also states that a number of European institutions have already refused to cooperate with Repin following appeals from Ukrainian diplomats and the public. In particular, his performances were cancelled in Germany and Italy, setting a precedent for reviewing the participation of artists associated with Russian state propaganda in the international cultural space.
The Arts Against Aggression initiative, one of the signatories of the letter, calls on the management of the Palm Beach Symphony and the Kravis Center to take ethical responsibility and not to provide a stage for artists associated with an aggressor state and its cultural diplomacy.
“Culture cannot exist outside the context of war when it is used as a tool to legitimise violence,” the appeal states.
At the time of publication, the Palm Beach Symphony had not publicly commented on the call to cancel the concert. LB.ua has sent an official request to the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States calling for strict measures and is awaiting the embassy’s response.