Lahav Shani
(c) Philharmonie Luxembourg

The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra was due to perform with its designated chief conductor Lahav Shani at the Flanders Festival in Ghent. The organizer has now cancelled the concert. « The reason given for the disinvitation was that Tel Aviv-born Lahav Shani is also music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, » the orchestra and the city of Munich announced. They condemned the refusal as an attack on European and democratic values.

The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of Munich commented: « Lahav Shani stands for understanding, humanism and dialog in all his work as a musician and as a person. We firmly reject placing Israeli artists under general suspicion and collectively punishing them. Banning people from the stage, the concert hall or other public places because of their origin or religious affiliation is an attack on essential European and democratic values. »