• FESTIVAL HAS ASKED FOR AND ACCEPTED THE RESIGNATION OF VALERY GERGIEV AS MUSIC
DIRECTOR OF THE VERBIER FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
• ALL DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS SANCTIONED BY WESTERN GOVERNMENTS TO BE
RETURNED
• ARTISTS PUBLICLY ALIGNED WITH THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT’S ACTIONS WILL NOT APPEAR AT
THE FESTIVAL
February 28, 2022 — VERBIER (Switzerland) — The Verbier Festival today announced the first
in a series of responses to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Martin T:son Engstroem, Verbier
Festival’s Founder & Director, summarised the strength of feeling felt by everyone at the Festival
when he commented:
“The Verbier Festival, its staff, management and Board, strongly condemns Russia’s gruesome
aggression against Ukraine. We follow with sadness and horror the violation the Russian
regime is imposing on the people of Ukraine. We pray for them and the courage they show in
refuting the aggressor. The Verbier Festival has always been an advocate of building bridges
through music between young and old of all nationalities, backgrounds and beliefs.”
The Verbier Festival has asked for and accepted the resignation of Valery Gergiev as Music
Director of the Verbier Festival Orchestra.
Among the measures implemented by the Festival with immediate effect are the return of
donations from any individual sanctioned by a western government and the exclusion from the
Festival of all artists who have publicly aligned themselves with the Russian government’s
actions.
Further details will be announced in due course.