A concert by Soviet-born Austrian pianist Elizaveta Leonskaya has been canceled in the Netherlands after she performed in Russia following the start of the full-scale invasion and appeared with musicians who support Putin.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the concert was scheduled for 4 December 2025, at the Muziekgebouw concert hall in Eindhoven. The embassy approached Muziekgebouw with a request to cancel it, according to the ministry's statement.
On 21 November, the pianist performed in Moscow with Russian conductor Yuri Bashmet, who openly supports illegitimate Russian president Vladimir, reports ED. The decisive factor for Muziekgebouw was that in Moscow, Leonskaya was to perform at a concert designated for Russian soldiers and their families
The ministry noted that similar concerts by Leonskaya are scheduled for 2026 in Groningen and Amsterdam, and Ukrainian diplomats have sent similar appeals to the respective concert halls. The statement added: "Culture should not be an instrument for war propaganda and whitewashing war crimes of an aggressor state."
The Muziekgebouw concert hall explained in its statement that it follows recommendations from the Association of Theatre and Concert Hall Directors, according to which Russian and Belarusian artists can perform if they have not expressed active support for the invasion of Ukraine and have publicly distanced themselves from the Putin or Lukashenka regimes.
The venue's press service acknowledged the complexity of applying these guidelines to Leonskaya: "Despite her Russian roots, she was not born in Russia and holds Austrian citizenship. Although she does not live in Russia, she nevertheless decided to perform in Moscow, and the theater where she performs now provides free tickets to Russian army servicemen and their families"
Leonskaya, born in 1945 in Tbilisi, studied at the Moscow Conservatory and relocated to Vienna in 1978. She has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the International Classical Music Award for lifetime achievement.
