Articles tagged: #musiciens russes contre la guerre

L’ACCENT RUSSE
Vladimir Jurowski: "Music can afford to be apolitical, but the musician cannot"
10.09.2025

On September 15-19, 2025, a festival entitled "Macht Musik" – "Making Music" – will take place in Basel, an event that positions itself as "a festival dedicated to the freedom of art under dictatorship." On opening day, the principal conductor of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (Rundfunk-Sinfoniorchesters Berlin, RSB), Vladimir Jurowski, representative of an illustrious Russian musical dynasty, will take his place at the podium. I offer you an exclusive interview with him; I hope it will answer several questions from my readers.

About the author

Nadia Sikorsky

Nadia Sikorsky grew up in Moscow where she obtained a master's degree in journalism and a doctorate in history from Moscow State University. After 13 years at UNESCO, in Paris and then in Geneva, and having served as director of communications at Green Cross International founded by Mikhail Gorbachev, she developed NashaGazeta.ch, the first online Russian-language daily newspaper, launched in 2007.

In 2022, she found herself among those who, according to Le Temps editorial board, "significantly contributed to the success of French-speaking Switzerland," thus appearing among opinion makers and economic, political, scientific and cultural leaders: the Forum of 100.

After 18 years leading NashaGazeta.ch, Nadia Sikorsky decided to return to her roots and focus on what truly fascinates her: culture in all its diversity. This decision took the form of this trilingual cultural blog (Russian, English, French) born in the heart of Europe – in Switzerland, her adopted country, the country distinguished by its multiculturalism and multilingualism.

Nadia Sikorsky does not present herself as a "Russian voice," but as the voice of a European of Russian origin (more than 35 years in Europe, 25 years spent in Switzerland) with the benefit of more than 30 years of professional experience in the cultural world at the international level. She positions herself as a cultural mediator between Russian and European traditions; the title of the blog, "The Russian Accent," captures this essence – the accent being not a linguistic barrier, not a political position but a distinctive cultural imprint in the European context.

Events
Marshall
Giacometti
Most read
"Rays and Shadows". Without Retouching or Illusions

What can one expect from a film about real people whose fate we already know? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Over three and a half hours, the viewer follows the protagonists of Rays and Shadows, Xavier Giannoli’s latest film, along the road to hell paved with good intentions, or, more precisely, along the path from the pacifist illusions of the post-war period to active collaboration during the Nazi occupation of France.

Who Will Answer for “Shosta”?

For the first time in my journalistic career, I want to tell you about a concert I have no intention of attending. And the reason, of course, has nothing to do with the brilliant composers whose works appear on the programme, nor even with the performers. The problem is the “packaging”, which deeply shocked me.

Who Is Mr Nobody Who Is Against Putin?

I offer reflections on a documentary film by a former school videographer from a provincial Russian town, "Mr Nobody Against Putin", which has sparked heated debate in professional circles and on social media.