The Lucerne and Verbier festivals, with the OSR Orchestra of Geneva, have formulated a line on Russian artists that makes no mention of their recent addiction to the oligarchs and their roubles. This line may not last long.

Here is the statement:

As three of Switzerland’s leading musical institutions, we strongly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As these disturbing events unfolded, we took strong and forceful action, including the cancellation of all artists aligned with or supporting the actions of the Russian regime.
We would like to clarify our position on the debate on the programming of Russian artists and Russian musical works in general, which has recently appeared in the press.
Collectively, we confirm our continued support for Russian artists. Those who have not aligned themselves with the actions of the Russian government do not deserve to be excluded from international musical life simply because of their nationality. Moreover, we refuse to turn our backs on the rich heritage of Russian culture, including the great works of Russian composers which have so often been created as hymns to freedom, brotherhood and the values ​​we hold dear.
We are united in our belief in the value of music and artists as messengers of peace and dialogue.