On September 11, the Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov gave an emotional speech following a concert with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London, decrying the carnage inflicted on Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli government under Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces. “I know that many of us feel completely helpless in front of this,” he said, “innocent Palestinians being killed in the thousands, displaced again and again, without hospitals, without schools, not knowing when the next meal is.” The speech quickly went viral, picked up by media from the Middle East Eye to CNN. On September 19, he was arrested at an anti-war protest near the border to Gaza.
The last time I spoke to Volkov, in 2016, we talked about expanding the orchestral repertoire, the importance of local music scenes, and whether he can hold his liquor. This time, we discussed his decision not to work in Israel, the disinvitation of Lahav Shani, and how he hopes to make the most of his viral moment.
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