Sir, – The Dublin International Piano Competition has banned Russian participants, according to its website, “in light of Russian actions”.
Perhaps it would care to explain, given the repression in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, why there are six Chinese participants. – Yours, etc,
PAUL WILLIAMS,
Kilkee,
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Co Clare.
Sir, – The decision of the Dublin International Piano Competition to cancel Russian competitors' invitations to compete this year is coming under a lot of criticism (Letters, March 22nd).
This competition is run on a voluntary basis; volunteers pick competitors up at the airport, host them, transport them to rehearsals every day for as long as they are in the competition, deliver them to the venue, wait until after they have participated and take them home again, finally seeing them off at the airport once the competition is finished.
Perhaps those very volunteers are more and more turning their minds to hosting Ukrainian refugees – something your letter writer and other critics might already have turned their own minds to. – Yours, etc,
ROY HOLMES,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – Fintan O'Toole is a respected cultural commentator and he is fearful of us falling into Russophobia ("It is vital we do not play Putin's game of Mother Russia versus the West", Opinion & Analysis, March 22nd).
Western culture does indeed owe a great deal to its Russian element but this has struggled to be appreciated in Russia itself, in tsarist times, in the Soviet period or in the post-Soviet period.
The present exodos of freedom-loving educated people from Russia today is not terribly different from the flight of up to four million educated Russians (the hated and despised “bourgeoisie” of the Bolshevik and communist period) after 1917.
Educated western people will not turn their back on Russian culture but Russians themselves are making it difficult for others to view everything dispassionately.
Their most famous and respected classical conductor is a lapdog of Putin, and Anna Netrebko has willingly given concerts in the conquered Donbas area and has publicly pleaded that she should not be asked to condemn her own country. It would serve her right if Austria were to withdraw her passport.
People are driven by emotion and, at present, it is hard to appreciate any element of Russian culture with the knowledge of what is being done in Russia’s name.
And I fear worse is still to come. – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY HANRAHAN,
Renvyle,
Co Galway.