Conductor Shani: Committed to peace and reconciliation

Munich (dpa/d.de) - Israeli conductor Lahav Shani has issued a public statement for the first time after being disinvited from a music festival in the Belgian city of Ghent and has criticised what he views as a “regrettable decision”.  

The designated chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic said that the festival’s management had demanded that he “make a political declaration despite my longstanding and publicly expressed commitment to peace and reconciliation”.  

The withdrawal of his invitation met with harsh criticism in Germany, including from Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer. The festival was accused of anti-Semitism. Shani thanked German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who had welcomed him to Berlin following his exclusion from the festival. 

Last week the Flanders Festival Ghent had cancelled a guest performance by the Munich Philharmonic under Shani’s baton that had been to take place on 18 September. The reason given was that Shani is also the musical director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and that his attitude towards the Israeli government is not clear.