On Monday, Ukrainian-born pianist Valentina Lisitsa took to Facebook to say that she had been booted from a series of scheduled performances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO). A world renowned solo pianist, Lisitsa, who is ethnically Russian, is known as a vocal supporter of the Russian minority in Ukraine. Her musings on social media about the Ukrainian government occasionally tend to the distasteful, as when she refers to “Ukro-Nazi” torchlight marches.
TSO president Jeff Melanson explained the decision to cancel Lisitsa’s performances was based on “ongoing accusations of deeply offensive language by Ukrainian media outlets.… As one of Canada’s most …read more
Source: National Post
