Philharmonie de Paris director responds to protest at Israeli orchestra performance
Olivier Mantei, director of the Philharmonie de Paris. On March 21, 2022. RÉMY ARTIGES FOR LE MONDE Olivier Mantei has served as director of the Cité de la Musique - Philharmonie de Paris since 2021. As the public cultural institution faces calls for boycotts linked to global political issues, he clarifies the Philharmonie's position, balancing a refusal to self-censor with the preservation of artistic freedom. How did you experience the crisis that followed the incidents at the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra concert on November 6, 2025? It was a very trying time for the teams at the Philharmonie de Paris. The situation in Gaza has sparked legitimate outrage, and it is clear, across society as a whole, just how difficult dialogue has been since October 7, 2023. All of this is far beyond us, and in such a context, it is essential to keep in mind everyone's role and capacity. We are a public cultural institution; it is in that capacity and within that scope that we can speak out and act. Internally, we held discussions beforehand and did everything possible to preserve dialogue afterwards, respecting the various positions and opinions that exist at the Philharmonie, as they do elsewhere. The same applies to the artists we regularly welcome. Some have supported and promoted calls for a boycott, while others have signed the peit against the boycott. In both cases, this is their freedom. The same goes for the pianist Andras Schiff, who performed that evening and decided not to play in the United States anymore because of certain aspects of the policies pursued by Donald Trump. I think it is important to take a step back and reflect together, even beyond the Philharmonie, on the issues raised by this sequence of events. You have 79.82% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
