18.11.24
Charity Concert in Tribute to Pavel Kushnir with Sergei Babayan and Grigory Sokolov
On November 18, a benefit concert will bring together two of the greatest contemporary pianists, Sergei Babayan and Grigory Sokolov, at Salle Cortot in Paris. This event, organized in tribute to Pavel Kushnir, a brilliant pianist who tragically passed away in prison in July 2024, will be held in support of the agency of artists in exile.
The tribute concert to Pavel Kushnir offers a unique opportunity to celebrate his courage and demonstrate the solidarity of leading musicians of our time in the face of injustice and barbarism. Babayan and Sokolov will perform a program of works by Chopin, Schumann, Schubert, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff.
Ahead of the November 18 concert, a collection of prominent musicians have released the following Statement of Support:
As musicians, we wish to voice our support for all artists throughout the world who are oppressed, and sometimes forced into exile. Pavel Kushnir chose internal exile and had the courage to speak out against war. He paid with his life.
We will be in spirit at the concert given by Grigory Sokolov and Sergei Babayan in Paris on 18th November and join wholeheartedly in this homage to Pavel which is also an expression of solidarity with all artists suffering repression today.
Signed by Martha Argerich, Alexeï Aiguï, Leif Ove Andsnes, Jacques Attali, Emanuel Ax, Daniel Barenboim, Elena Bashkirova, Andrey Boreyko, Yefim Bronfman, Semyon Bychkov, Renaud Capuçon, Adam Fischer, Daniele Gatti, Kirill Gerstein, Richard Goode, Maria Gortsevskaya, Ilya Gringolts, Augustin Hadelich, Thomas Hampson, Barbara Hannigan, Pablo Heras-Casado, Janine Jansen, Paavo Järvi, Vladimir Jurowski, Evgeny Kissin, Alexander Korsantia, Gidon Kremer, Dmitri Kourliandski, Igor Levit, Elena Lisitsian, Alexei Lubimov, Fabio Luisi, Mischa Maisky, Alexander Melnikov, Julian Milkis, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maria Nemtsova, Polina Osetinskaya, Sir Antonio Pappano, Dina Parakhina, Kirill Petrenko, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Beatrice Rana, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Donald Runnicles, Andreas Scholl, Olga Shkrygunova, Katia Skanavi, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Dima Slobodeniouk, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Alexandre Tharaud, Christian Thielemann, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Elena Toponogova, Victorien Vanoosten, Franz Welser-Möst, Lilya Zilberstein.
All ticket proceeds and funds raised will be donated to the agency of artists in exile, a Paris-based NGO supporting creators forced into exile due to conflicts or political repression in their home countries. By honoring Pavel's memory, this event aims to support all artists fighting for their values and freedom.
The concert is organized by the Aùrion Association and the record label Little Tribeca. Find tickets and additional details here.
