Canadian orchestra drops Ukraine-born pianist over anti-Kiev posts

Canadian orchestra drops Ukraine-born pianist over anti-Kiev posts

A Ukrainian-born pianist was barred from playing at Canada’s Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) for expressing views on the situation in Ukraine via Twitter, according to the soloist herself. The move led to a social media storm tagged #LetValentinaPlay.

The orchestra has officially announced its decision to drop pianist Valentina Lisitsa from its Rachmaninoff Concerto #2 program earlier this week. TSO President and CEO Jeff Melanson cited “ongoing accusations of deeply offensive language by Ukrainian media outlets,” adding that Lisitsa’s “provocative comments” had allegedly “overshadowed past performances.”

In the statement, Melanson seems to be referring to Lisitsa’s Twitter posts, in which she expresses her views on the situation in Ukraine.

Your friendly Western media will NOT SHOW THIS 1000s protest in front of US Embassy in Kiev."WE ARE NOT SHEEPLE!"

And let`s see how she actual gets trashed...

Lisitsa maintained on her Twitter account that she does not mix music with politics, and does not “preach” during performances. Her opponents, however, accused her of being a “Kremlin mouthpiece” and a “hate monger.”

Maria Kolos wrote on Facebook, supporting the TSO’s decision: “Thank you TSO for not tolerating this offensive Kremlin mouthpiece.” Mat Babyak also said: “Thank you for not giving a platform to a racist hate monger! Keep her out of Canada!”

Another user, Iryna Cimorelli, pointed towards a large number of Ukrainian immigrants when expressing her support for the TSO. “Toronto is full of Ukrainian immigrants who are true patriots of their county and they would never ever allow this woman to play on that stage after her propaganda speeches. Never!!! Good for them for kicking her out, she can play in [the] Kremlin now!!!”

Source

Isn`t it odd that some people on this forum who shout the loudest about "Freedom of Speech" are using the same tactics as how she got silenced ?

Is this really "Freedom of Speech" and will we now see certain members starting to bash Canada for it ?

Canada being in your backyard, you can`t have the hypocrisy now for not going to start against them too, or is "Freedom of Speech" nothing more as something which can be used when needed to push a certain agenda and is just a hollow phrase with no meaning whatsoever ?

Do you guys, who have been bashing about the Russians not having so called "Freedom of Speech," having the same stance on her for expressing her opinion and being silenced about it, or is this just perfectly acceptable because what she says isn`t what some of you feel what needs to be said ?

In my opinion, "this is has nothing to do with Freedom of Speech anymore and is nothing more as silencing critics," which resembles countries with repressive regimes, and I don`t think we will hear Western Politicians/Media going on rampage about it just as with Charlie Hebdo, the Danish Muslim cartoons, the gay laws in Russia, Pussy Riot, etc...I will bet, Western Mainstream and Politicians are not going to say anything about it.

Those aren't the kind of tweets that got her in trouble. These are.

In a new European Ukraine, the camps will give the subhumans [ethnic Russians] condemned to gas chambers an opportunity to offset their carbon footprint,

a society sunk beyond redemption,

owned a proud and long history with Russia, threw it away and invented myths.

She also was claiming the Ukraine government was setting up "filtration camps".

She is clearly more pro-Russia than Ukraine .. and is ethnic Russian. She also has not lived in the Ukraine since 1991, and lives in NC USA.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
Those aren't the kind of tweets that got her in trouble. These are.

In a new European Ukraine, the camps will give the subhumans [ethnic Russians] condemned to gas chambers an opportunity to offset their carbon footprint,

a society sunk beyond redemption,

owned a proud and long history with Russia, threw it away and invented myths.

She also was claiming the Ukraine government was setting up "filtration camps".

She is clearly more pro-Russia than Ukraine .. and is ethnic Russian. She also has not lived in the Ukraine since 1991, and lives in NC USA.

With her being a US citizen it should be even more aggravating to Americans.

And she`s not that far off, just read this...

Self-appointed prime minister of Ukraine, Arseny Yatsenyuk of the “Fatherland Party,” referred to Russians as “subhuman,” echoing the racist vitriol of Nazism Yatsenyuk and others in his regime subscribe to. It was a violent, armed coup spearheaded by Neo-Nazi militants that placed Yatsenyuk into power in the first place, along with the Neo-Nazi political front Svoboda, and paved way for fraudulent elections that predictably yielded a pro-US-EU client regime.

Source

And this...

Dmitry Yarosh, head of Right Sector paramilitary has been named advisor to Chief of the General Staff. The Right Sector paramilitary has been incorporated into Ukraine armed forces as a special, autonomous formation.

Source

So she has to be silenced for speaking out the truth ?

Well, at the end of the day, this type of behaviour brings the orchestra into disrepute, so hardly surprising she's been dropped.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

So she should be ridiculed and trashed for having an opinion, about a foreign country?
This is censorship at it's most ugly but we have also seen the same idiocy and censorship applied to Gilad Atzmon for his stance on the Israeli government and it's aggression. Those not willing to promote or even agree with the official line must be destroyed and ridiciled! How pathetic!

As for her now being a US citizen and an ethnic Russian, does that mean she is not allowed to have an opinion on anything if it differs from that of the government? It is irrelevant and petty and has nothing to do with the matter.

originally posted by: BornAgainAlien

With her being a US citizen it should be even more aggravating to Americans.

It is. If she loves Russia so much she can move there.

And she`s not that far off, just read this...

Yes, she is, I have read it.

Self-appointed prime minister of Ukraine, Arseny Yatsenyuk of the “Fatherland Party,” referred to Russians as “subhuman,” echoing the racist vitriol of Nazism Yatsenyuk and others in his regime subscribe to. It was a violent, armed coup spearheaded by Neo-Nazi militants that placed Yatsenyuk into power in the first place, along with the Neo-Nazi political front Svoboda, and paved way for fraudulent elections that predictably yielded a pro-US-EU client regime.

Global research is a pretty horrible source. He was not self appointed, he resigned at one point and his resignation was not accepted, and then he was voted in. Not the power mad person you and your source make him out to be. He called the rebels who were murdering people MISCREANTS. He never used the word sub-human. Russian apologists mistranslate it to sub-human to further their own agenda.

So she has to be silenced for speaking out the truth ?

She was not silenced. She has the freedom of speech, she does not have freedom from consequence.

a reply to: paraphi

Such a shame then that we can't sack the government for the same reasons!

How is her personal opinion on anything bringing the orchestra into disrepute? How many people really knew what her opinions are, let along who she is? Seems like a simple case of censorship and punishment to me, and not unexpected by the petty and vindictive losers we have in power these days.

originally posted by: Britguy
a reply to: OccamsRazor04

So she should be ridiculed and trashed for having an opinion, about a foreign country?

She has the right to her opinion. She does not have the right against ridicule. Either way the source LIED about what she said that got her in trouble.

This is censorship at it's most ugly but we have also seen the same idiocy and censorship applied to Gilad Atzmon for his stance on the Israeli government and it's aggression. Those not willing to promote or even agree with the official line must be destroyed and ridiciled! How pathetic!

No censorship. She can still speak her mind all she likes.

As for her now being a US citizen and an ethnic Russian, does that mean she is not allowed to have an opinion on anything if it differs from that of the government? It is irrelevant and petty and has nothing to do with the matter.

No, you missed the point with your hate filled blinders. She is pro-Russia, and was not born in the Ukraine, and is not ethnically Ukrainian. She's a Russian who was born in the Ukraine when it was part of the USSR and never lived in a free Ukraine. She is flat out lying in support of Russia.

a reply to: Britguy

Since her music is not a political platform there is zero way to twist this as censorship. How has she been censored?

We aren't even talking about someone who was voicing inconvenient truths, we are talking about someone who was LYING and making things up. Liars should be punished.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

It is. If she loves Russia so much she can move there.

And what if she has love for Russia and the US ?

She was not silenced. She has the freedom of speech, she does not have freedom from consequence.

This is an attempt to silence her...

Lisitsa revealed that TSO offered to cover her entire fee for the cancelled program, if she chose to stay silent about the reason behind the decision.

originally posted by: BornAgainAlien
This is an attempt to silence her...

Yes, silence morons who support a liar from bashing the TSO. Nowhere does that say they will pay her if she stop attacking Kiev. She was not silenced. There was no attempt to silence her. She was free to continue her FALSE twitter campaign where she LIES.

The message is don't lie and make up stuff. If you do, you will have problems.

For the record if anyone went on twitter saying Russia was building gas chambers to kill all Polish people and they had camps set up to round up all non Russians in Russia I would support them being fired too.

Don't lie.

originally posted by: Britguy
How is her personal opinion on anything bringing the orchestra into disrepute?

Because if her personal opinions start to be the news over and above the orchestra, then it's negative for the orchestra. If her actions impact negatively, as they are, then the orchestra suffers. Therefore, get rid of the problem and karma is restored.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

The guy who says he`s a follower of Stepan Bandera has been given official power in the Ukraine, but hey, it`s just nothing of course...

The Nazis Even Hitler Was Afraid of

a reply to: BornAgainAlien

Awesome, show me these 'filtration camps please.
Show me where they are going to gas ethnic Russians en masse.

Or you can admit she's a filthy liar and got what she deserves.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

So you haven`t read it at all, and really have no clue about who Stepan Bandera actual was ?

Maybe read first all the pages so you can understand why she writes those kind of things.

originally posted by: BornAgainAlien
a reply to: OccamsRazor04

So you haven`t read it at all, and really have no clue about who Stepan Bandera actual was ?

Maybe read first all the pages so you can understand why she writes those kind of things.

I don't care who he is. She said they were building camps to gas Russians. Show me the camps or admit she's a liar. The camps either exist or they don't, which is it?

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Of course you don`t care about who are now in charge the Ukraine and who they follow, because it would explain as to why she writes those things and it shows them to wanting to cleanse the Ukraine from the subhumans (ethnic-Russians)...

...and if you openly admit to be a follower from someone who`s responsible for mass genocide in WWII, it all of sudden makes a lot more sense.

originally posted by: BornAgainAlien
a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Of course you don`t care about who are now in charge the Ukraine and who they follow, because it would explain as to why she writes those things and it shows them to wanting to cleanse the Ukraine from the subhumans (ethnic-Russians)...

...and if you openly admit to be a follower from someone who`s responsible for mass genocide in WWII, it all of sudden makes a lot more sense.

As I said, the camps either exist or they don't. You appear to have conceded they do not. You admit she is a LIAR and spread FALSE propaganda.

She lied, she got exactly what she deserved. You are just so far up Putin's behind you don't care she lied, anything in support of Mother Russia and Father Putin right?

Filthy liar, and you even agree she is. Of course you are too. I already replied to the sub-human comment and showed you he never said that. He called them Miscreants. Putin lovers like you and her mistranslated it and twisted it to say sub-human. It doesn't, yet you keep saying it. Disgusting.

Although you don't care and are a simple propaganda machine here is the proof.

Original text.

Вони загинули, бо стали на захист чоловіків і жінок, дітей і літніх людей, які опинилися перед загрозою винищення інтервентами і оплаченими ними нелюдами
yatsenyuk.org.ua...

Google translate says:
They died because they were in defense of men and women, children and the elderly , who are facing the threat of extermination invaders and paid for them fiends

Google translates it as FIENDS.

Translating it into English the word Subhuman was used, and then when the mistake was found, corrected. He never said subhuman, ever.