Gergiev and Netrebko are not being “canceled” for their Russian identity. They are being criticized for actively and repeatedly promoting an authoritarian state’s violence, lies, and territorial aggression. In the arts, platforming is power. A podium is not neutral ground—it is a place of influence, a place where narratives are validated, history is shaped, and moral legitimacy is either reinforced or revoked.

For too long, Western institutions, particularly in the classical music world, have hidden behind the notion that “art is above politics.” But art is never above politics when it is used as a tool of nationalism, repression, or propaganda. Valery Gergiev has been a willing participant in that machinery.

What began as a murmur of discontent towards Vice President J.D. Vance, swiftly crescendoed into a full-throated wall of Booing.

El Sistema’s entanglement with political agendas has only deepened the erosion of its founding values. What began as a movement of hope...