Toulouse City Hall asks Tugan Sokhiev to “speak” on the war in Ukraine before his Toulouse concerts
The Town Hall of Toulouse has confirmed what we had already written: Tugan Sokhiev will conduct the Orchester du Capitole on March 18 and 25, at the Halle aux grains. Until then, the community urges the chief to “express himself on the current situation”.
We announced it in our edition yesterday, the Town Hall of Toulouse confirms it today: Tugan Sokhiev, musical director of the Orchester National du Capitole, “confirms his intention to come and conduct the concerts in March”. And the community to specify in a press release: “Following the events in Ukraine, the Town Hall of Toulouse immediately sought to get in touch with Tugan Sokhiev. Failing to have been able to reach him directly, he has let us know his intention, at this stage, to be present for the concerts of March 18 and 25 at the Halle aux grains. Without waiting, Jean-Luc Moudenc sent him a letter asking him to speak to Toulouse on the current situation. He knows that we are regularly questioned, especially as a twin town of Kiev, by the press, spectators, musicians on his vision of the news. The Collectivité has already decided that the Orchester National du Capitole de Toulouse will no longer be part of the Musicales franco-russes. »
The sacrificed Franco-Russian musicals
This festival created in 2019 by Tugan Sokhiev with the support of the Dialogue de Trianon, a cultural “bridge” between France and Russia wanted by Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Poutine, was a great success during its first edition. He then suffered many setbacks. In 2020, most of the programming had been canceled due to Covid. In 2021, the pandemic being still there, a handful of concerts could have taken place but without an audience for broadcasting on the Internet. As for the declaration of the Town Hall, it seems irrelevant, the 2022 edition, which should have taken place this month, had not been planned for several weeks, in particular due to the cancellation, well before the invasion. Russian, two concerts by the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra and Chorus, also conducted by Tugan Sokhiev. Finally, it should be noted that the chef is very attached to this festival, which brings together the cultures of two countries that are dear to him. And that it will certainly be reborn one day, in Toulouse or elsewhere, when peace has finally returned.