New York, NY: March 19, 2025 –The world-renowned pianist, conductor, pedagogue and lecturer Sir András Schiff announced today that he has cancelled his concerts in the U.S. for the 2025-2026 season in response to political changes in the United States, issuing the following statement:
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Music Lovers,
Due to the recent and unprecedented political changes in the United States, I feel morally obligated to withdraw from all engagements in the U.S. for the 2025-2026 season. This is not an easy decision to make. Since the 1970’s the U.S. has been very important in my life, including the many years I lived in New York City. There have been hundreds of concerts and wonderful experiences with excellent orchestras and musicians. Some of my closest friends live in the States. I have a great deal for which to be thankful.
Some people might say, “just shut up and play.” I cannot, in good conscience, do that. We do not live in an ivory tower where the arts are untouched by society. Arts and politics, arts and society are inseparable. Therefore, as artists, we must react to the horrors and injustices of this world. Have we learned nothing from the course of history — as recently as Europe in the 1930s? Perhaps not.
The American people have spoken – and we have heard them. Yes, indeed, there is a “new sheriff in town.” Which has made it a very different “town” — one that some of us no longer wish to visit. It is no longer obligatory.
Thank you for your friendship and continued support. Let’s not give up hope for better times.
The cancelled concerts include a recital tour scheduled for October 2025 and orchestral engagements with the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York Philharmonic, scheduled for May 2026.
A full biography of Sir András Schiff can be found here: Sir András Schiff Biography
Andras Schiff is one of my favourite pianists. I fully support his decision. He is a profound thinker on many levels. Yes, the arts and politics are deeply interconnected. They have to do with being a human being, after all, either expressing the human experience in an imaginative, emotional way, or finding an equitable positive way to uplift the human condition. America has managed to find a nadir in the latter category.
When people turn a blind eye to ignorance and inhumanity, then the negative side of human nature gains power. This usually leads to catastrophic consequences. I am reminded of the opening lines of Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time. Are we back there again??
BRAVO Sir Andras Schiff! I have been following US politics intensely for several years, frequently watching podcasts emanating from the US, such as the excellent Meidas Touch, David Tyler Cohen and Occupy Democrats . Anyone who doesn’t believe that the world is now a very dangerous place is living in fantasy land.
I applaud Sir Andras for standing up and being counted, and I hope many more eminent people will follow his example.