Toronto Orchestra drops Ukrainian pianist, provokes free speech debate
Many say #LetValentinaPlay after pianist dropped from Toronto Symphony Orchestra over “provocative comments”.
Ukrainian-born Valentina Lisitsa’s “provocative” comments on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict may have gotten her fired from a performance at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) this week. The pianist has been vocal in her criticism of the Ukrainian government, and has written about Ukrainians “raising [sic] in fury against their corrupt rulers”.
TSO cited “ongoing accusations of deeply offensive language by Ukrainian media outlets” as a reason for replacing Lisitsa:
Published On 7 Apr 2015