The Vancouver Recital Society spent years trying to book world-class performer Alexander Malofeev, who was finally scheduled to play a Vancouver concert in August.
But the 20-year-old Russian virtuoso’s long-anticipated performance was abruptly cancelled this week following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It was a painful choice for his hosts, according to the Vancouver Recital Society’s artistic director Leila Getz.
“When Putin finally decided to invade Ukraine, I felt in good conscience I could not do that,” she told Stephen Quinn, host of CBC’s The Early Edition on Friday. “It’s sad, I feel very badly for Malofeev.”
“It’s not something I’m proud of or
