Tugan Sohiev, chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, resigned today, Sunday. The alternative would have been possible imprisonment in Russia or the end of a career in the West.
Chief Conductor of Bolshoi Tugan Sohiev resigns. The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow is considered the most important opera house in Russia, alongside the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.
Sohiev said in a statement that he had no other choice. Sohiev is also chief conductor of the Toulouse Orchestra, and the French orchestra demanded that the Russian conductor condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Otherwise, Sohiev’s wash in Toulouse would end.
– I am faced with an impossible situation where I should choose between beloved Russian or beloved French musicians. I have decided to resign as Chief Conductor of the Bolshoi Theater and Chief Conductor of the Toulouse Orchestra. It is always a privilege to make music with these two institutions, and I will always be on their side as a musician.
received information about Sohijev’s resignation from the curator of the Radio Symphony Orchestra Wind from Sarothi. He sees the resignation of the Russian conductor as a really violent reaction to the situation facing Russian artists as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
– Sohijev was required to condemn this Putin aggression in order to allow him to lead this second orchestra in France. Now, however, the situation is that if someone in Russia condemns this aggression, such a person will be imprisoned in Russia for perhaps 15 years under the new law, Sarotie says.
According to Sarotie, Sohiev was at a dead end.
– If he condemns Putin, he will be in prison in Russia. If he doesn’t, the doors to the west will be closed.
Sohiev has been Bolshoi’s chief conductor for nearly 10 years.
– During his time, Bolshoi’s artistic level has risen tremendously, and the orchestra in the house is absolutely brilliant. This is an artistically big crisis for Bolshoi, Sarotie notes.
Sohijev fled Putin in Savonlinna
Sohijev is a familiar conductor for Finnish classical music lovers. He has been an RSO conductor for about twenty years, about every two years.
– He is one of the best conductors of all time to lead the RSO.
Sohijev is an international star who has conducted the Salzburg Music Festival and visited the Vienna Philharmonic. In addition to RSO’s concerts, he has been seen in Finland at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. There he performed in 2017 when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the city.
– I have a bit of a witty memory of Sohijev. Since I know Tugan, I asked him what he likes about Putin coming to Savonlinna. Tugan just laughed and said he was going to slip away from any situation where there could be the slightest risk that he could run into Putin, Sarotie says.
According to Sarotie, Sohiev is a musician who has never taken any position on politics, unlike his Russian counterpart Valery Gergievwhose career as a conductor is practically over in the West.
Gergiev, who runs the Mariinsky Theater, is a supporter of Putin. He has become known in Finland as the artistic director of the Mikkeli Music Festival, but Gergiev was fired on Friday.
Sarotie believes that Sohiev, who has resigned as chief conductor of Bolshoi, can continue his career as a musician.
– He will definitely visit as the leader of top orchestras. The RSO got him attached for the coming season. I was already here last week worried about whether we could call him if he was Bolshoi’s chief conductor. The theater enjoys funding from the Russian state.
– At least for now, it seems to me that Sohiev’s activities in Russia will end and he will continue to visit Western orchestras. And he’s the level of conductor that’s sure to be sought somewhere as chief conductor, Sarotie notes.