The director’s statement describes the move as “a gesture of solidarity with the Ukrainian people” and attributes it to “the current sensitivities in Poland to Russian culture.”
The organisers say they “are filled with sadness," being aware of the fact that as a result of their decision “those competitors who had planned to perform works by Russian composers are at a disadvantage."
"To ensure the competition remains equal for all competitors, the jury has decided to reduce the length of the required programmes,” the organisers added.
A music critic for the Gazeta Wyborcza daily writes that because of the last-minute decision of the competition’s director, "an international competition has turned into an international scandal."
According to a critic for the Rzeczpospolita daily, the controversy has marred the atmosphere surrounding the event.
Francesca Zambello, the artistic director of the Washington National Opera, has withdrawn her participation in the competition jury.
She wrote to the organisers of the event: “I am against the actions of President Putin, but I am not against Russian history, music or art … I wanted to come to Poland and work with you. I hope when peace prevails we can try again.”
The Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition, named after the prominent 20th-century Polish composer, was launched in 2018. It takes place every five years in disciplines including piano and violin.
(mk/gs)