Belgian festival cancels Munich Philharmonic over Israeli conductor

The Flanders Festival Ghent, Belgium, has cancelled a concert on 18th September by the Munich Philharmonic, citing concerns over its incoming Chief Conductor, Lahav Shani.

In a statement issued on 10th September, the festival said, “...in the light of his role as the chief conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, we are unable to provide sufficient clarity about his attitude to the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv.” The festival made the decision in line with the City Council in Ghent, which passed a motion on 2nd September formally recognising the State of Palestine while urging the Belgian federal and Flemish governments to condemn Israel’s offensive in Gaza. 

As a result, the Festival says it has chosen to refrain from collaboration with partners who have not distanced themselves unequivocally from the Israeli government. While Shani had spoken in favour of “peace and reconciliation”, festival organisers deemed this insufficient clarification of his political stance. 

Born in Tel Aviv and currently residing in Berlin, Lahav Shani has held the position of Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic since the 2020–21 season, and earlier this year announced an extension of his contract to 2032. He will hold the post of Chief Conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, which formally begins in the 2026–27 season, simultaneously with his position in Israel. 

The decision was immediately condemned by the City of Munich and the Munich Philharmonic in a joint statement, which expressed their “profound shock” at the decision. “We firmly reject the practice of placing Israeli artists under general suspicion and subjecting them to collective punishment. Excluding individuals from the stage, the concert hall, or other public venues based on their ethnic origin or religious affiliation constitutes an attack on fundamental European and democratic values.” The Statement was signed by the Cultural Director and the Mayor of Munich, along with Florian Wiegand, Executive Director of the Munich Philharmonic.

The festival has attracted criticism from the classical music community across Europe. It highlights growing tensions in European cultural institutions regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and its General Director, Baptiste Charroing, immediately released a statement confirming that its planned concert with Shani and the Munich Philharmonic on 16th September would continue as planned, and expressed support for the orchestra and conductor. Meanwhile, the Berliner Festspiele has rallied around to organise an additional concert on 15th September for the orchestra during the MusikFest Berlin. 

Other organisations publicly condemning the Flanders Festival decision are Lahav Shani’s former orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and cultural institutions across Germany, including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatsoper Unter-den-Linden and the Kölner Philharmonie.

Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever has also made a statement on X (formerly Twitter) describing the Festival’s cancellation of the performance as “reckless and irresponsible” adding that it was an “unprecedented requirement that artists provide written statements of their political views”. He described the move as the opposite of artistic freedom, and warned that it would tarnish Belgium's reputation.

However, the controversy is not without precedent. In 2022, Shani’s predecessor at the Munich Philharmonic, Valery Gergiev, was sacked after he failed to speak out against the invasion of Ukraine or distance himself from Vladimir Putin. At the same time, soprano Anna Netrebko, currently appearing in Tosca at London’s Royal Opera House, was banned from many stages for not being vocal enough against Putin and the conflict. At opening night on 11th September, there were protests outside the house. In July, director Oliver Mears was criticised for removing a Palestinian flag from a cast member who had unfurled it during a curtain call.

At the BBC Proms on 11th September, Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov made an unplanned speech from the podium, condemning Israel for its actions in Gaza. “I ask you all to do whatever is in your power to stop this madness. Every little action counts while governments hesitate and wait. We cannot let this go on any longer; every moment that passes puts the safety of millions at risk,” he said. Following the speech, he announced that he will not work in Israel for the foreseeable future.