11 replies to this topic

[Yervant1]

Asbarez.com

 

Armenian Soprano’s Agency Confirms She was Sacked for her Nationality

January 15, 2020

 

Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan

Hours after it was revealed earlier this week that a scheduled performance by an Armenian soprano at an event in Dresden, Germany was cancelled at the request of an Azerbaijani tenor who was scheduled to perform with her, the organizers of the event issued a statement saying they “firmly reject the accusation.”

Armenia’s Ruzan Mantashyan was invited to perform at The Semper Opera Ball, a classical entertainment event in Dresden, Germany. She was scheduled to sing a duet with an American tenor; however, he was unavailable to perform. As a result, the opera house replaced the American tenor with Azerbaijan’s Yusif Eyvazov, who upon learning about his singing partner reportedly urged the organizers to cancel her performance, saying he did not want to sing with an Armenian.

The organizers, instead of rejecting the alleged xenophobia, chose to side with the Azerbaijani singer and brazenly went on record to deny any wrongdoing.

“SemperOperaball firmly rejects accusation against Yusif Eyvazov. The organizers of SemperOperaball firmly reject the accusation that the singer Ruzan Mantashyan will not perform at the 15th SemperOperaball on Feb. 7, due to her nationality,” said the organizers. Prior to this, it had been alleged that the Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov, who will sing at the gala in Dresden’s Semper Opera House, had refused to appear at SemperOperaball together with the Armenian artist on the grounds of her nationality.”

“The artistic director of SemperOperaball, Hans-Joachim Frey, however, strongly condemned the accusation as an insinuation. At no time had there been a contract with Ruzan Mantashyan for a performance at SemperOperaball on Feb. 7, 2020. Nor did Yusif Eyvazov ever make the collaboration with a fellow singer dependent on her origin. However, it is now assumed that there may have been misunderstandings in communication with Ms. Mantashyan’s agencies,” added the Semper Opera statement.

On Tuesday, Agence Massis Opéra, Mantashyan’s agency, issued a statement asserting that, in fact, the Armenian soprano was under contract to perform at the February 7 event since September, only to be fired on January 10, after Eyvazov was added to the bill.

“Indeed, after a first written contact in September 2019 asking us for the availability of Miss Mantashyan for the date of the concert, the written exchanges continued, without any particular problem, to deal with the various usual elements of a negotiation – contact details, program, financial conditions, visa application,” explained Mantashyan’s agency. “After about 15 email-exchanges, the file seemed complete. So there was a willingness on the part of the Semper Opernball to hire Ruzan Mantashyan for the concert on February 7.”

“On January 10, 2020, we received a last written message announcing the cancellation of Ruzan Mantashyan’s participation, because Mr. Yusif Eyvazov did not wish to perform with her,” for the reasons cited above, explained the Armenian soprano’s agents.

 

 

http://asbarez.com/1...0OjRnXkvXPB6TtM

 

 

 

[Yervant1]

PanArmenian, Armenia

Jan 20 2020

 

 

German artist urges Azeri tenor to stop hating Armenians

January 20, 2020 - 10:50 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Famous German operatic bass René Pape has weighed in on a scandal involving Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov who reportedly made organizers of an event to force out Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan with whom he was scheduled to perform.

“Usually I don’t comment on such things but as a Dresden native and as an ambassador of music, art and antiracism, I have to tell my esteemed colleague Yusif to not bring any hate into my town or somewhere else,” Pape said in a statement he sent to celebrated Armenian soprano Hasmik Papian.

“To be able to make music means to be able to build bridges, not to destroy them.”

In a statement, which Papian published on her Facebook page, the German artist reminded that Dresden has had a very bright and a very dark past, as well as a glorious musical history.

“To be invited to sing here and to make an audience happy is an honor and a privilege! You should be proud and happy to be asked to be a part of it,” pape said.

“You want to be remembered as an artist, not as a hater.”

According to earlier reports, Mantashyan was invited to perform at The Semper Opera Ball, a classical entertainment event in Dresden, Germany, alongside an American tenor. However, as the latter dropped out in the process, the opera house replaced him with Eyvazov. After realizing Mantashyan’s ethnicity, the Azerbaijani tenor reportedly refused to perform.

http://www.panarmeni...ating_Armenians

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Jan 20 2020

 

 

Culture 12:00 20/01/2020 Armenia

‘Shame on you’: German basses, Armenian actor slam Azeri tenor’s move to force Armenian soprano out of Dresden concert

Prominent Armenian actor Vartan Petrossian has strongly condemned the Dresden opera incident involving an Armenian singer as a “disgrace”, adding for an actor working in Europe it is “even impossible to comprehend.”

As reported earlier, Azerbaijani opera singer Yusif Eyvazov refused to share the stage with Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan during the Semper Opera Ball, a classical entertainment event in Dresden, Germany, scheduled for 7 February, because of the latter’s nationality. 

World famous opera singer Hasmik Papian expressed outrage over the incident in a post on Facebook, stressing that forcing Mantashyan out of the performance because of her ethnicity was political.

"I’ve come to learn about the recent, scandalous incident at the Dresden Opera House. In short, Azeri singer Yusuf Aivazov has refused to sing together with an Armenian singer Ruzan Mantashyan, due to which the organizers of the concert have abruptly stopped the process of preparation of Mantashyan’s agreement and have cancelled her appearance. Reading the media coverage of this incident I cannot conceal the voice of my resentment and anger and I cannot believe that such an insidious, ugly incident has taken place in an artistic setting, and, moreover, in modern day Europe, and in a civilized country like Germany,"  Vartan Petrossian wrote on Facebook. 

"For decades I have worked on many French stages, alongside an international and multicultural cast including French, Arabs, Russians, Italians, Jewish, Portuguese, Turkish ... and I have always admired the true integrity and high morale in the relationship between these international actors, directors, stage drivers, technicians, etc.

"For months I have shared the stage with a fellow Turkish actor in the performance titled "N'ayez pas peur" directed by the famous French director Robert Hossein. We have worked together in a warm and friendly manner, discussing even the issue of the Armenian-Turkish relations that was a heavy topic for both of us. We have worked together as humans, as brothers.

"The Dresden incident is a disgrace, and for an actor working in Europe it is even impossible to comprehend. The Dresden Opera Administration is the main responsible party for this outrageous phenomenon. However instead of politically condemning the Azerbaijani singer's racist act and taking appropriate sanctions against this, the administration on the contrary, based on his request has cancelled the agreement with the Armenian singer. Moreover they now wash their hands, declaring that they wish to have no business with some distant, Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict that was deliberately brought to the theater.

"I call upon all my colleagues in France, in the United States, in Canada, in Russia, and in all of Armenia, as well as in every other country, to raise their voice in protest against this inhuman manifestation of chauvinism; otherwise the virus of racism might spread across all European stages serving as a precedent and resulting in even more ugly and intolerable phenomena.

"I would also like to address the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Culture of the Republic of Armenia to make an announcement and take a rough stance in this matter," the actor said.  

In two separate Facebook posts on Sunday, Hasmik Papian shared the comments of German basses René Pape and Thomas Quasthoff on the incident.

“Usually I don’t comment on such things, but as a Dresden native and as an ambassador of music, art and antiracism, I have to tell my esteemed colleague Yusif to not bring any hate into my town or somewhere else,” Pape said in a statement.

“Yes Yusif, just in case you don’t know it, Dresden had a very bright and a very dark past and history, and also a very glorious musical one. This city is making its way again to be one of the greatest cities in Europe and in the world.

“To be invited to sing here and to make an audience happy is an honor and a privilege! You should be proud and happy to be asked to be a part of it,” he added.

“You want to be remembered as an artist, not as a hater.”

Thomas Quasthoff also decried the Azerbaijani singer's move. “Mr. Eyvazov, shame on you!" the German bass wrote. "Racism has no place in our profession as a singer and in this world in general.” 

https://www.panorama...soprano/2225338

[Yervant1]

ArMedia, Armenia

Jan 20 2020

 

 

Because of Azerbaijani Opera Singer's Attitude Armenian Soprano Expects Apologies from Opera Organizers

 

01.20.2020, 21:59

 Region,  World

 

Opera singer Ruzan Mantashyan has issued a new statement about the cancelation of her participation in Semper Opera Ball in Dresden on February 7 because of the refusal of Azerbaijani opera singer Yusif Eyvazov to sing with an Armenian singer, "Armenpress'' reports.

 

In the statement René Massis, the representative of Ruzan Mantashyan urged chairman and artistic director of Dresden Opera Ball Hans-Joachim Frey to apologize from Ruzan Mantashyan.

 

''Dear Mister Frey,

 

One could think that you were forced to do so before the intransigence of your Guest Star. This is not what would have been desirable, but the facts are there: Ruzan Mantashyan has been withdrawn from the project.

 

The best attitude would have been, to say the least, to apologize to Miss Mantashyan.

 

In this case, we could have tried to overcome this lamentable situation.

  

You haven't even considered it necessary to establish a personal contact.

Instead, in your press release of January 15, you dismiss, in an arrogant and insulting tone, the concrete arguments we produce to back up the facts of our version.

 

By doing so, do you really want us to take another step and take this litigation to a further level ?'', reads the statement of René Massis, posted on Ruzan Mantashyan’s Facebook page.

 

There were media reports on January 13 that Azerbaijani opera singer Yusif Eyvazov had refused to sing with Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan for ''political reasons''. The two singers were scheduled to sing together on February 7 at Semper Opera Ball in Dresden.

 

Later the Azerbaijani singer denied the accusations, publishing the statement of Semper Opera Ball, according to which the Opera Ball had no contract with the Armenian singer.

 

But back in December a statement had been issued, where Ruzan Mantashyan was mentioned as one of the singers. The final contract was not signed yet only for the reason that thgey negotiations were not over yet, but the agreement on the participation of the Armenian singer had been already reached.

 

 https://armedia.am/e...organizers.html

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Armenian soprano expects apologies from opera organizers for being discriminated on ethnicity basis

 

 

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 17:14, 20 January, 2020

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Opera singer Ruzan Mantashyan has issued a new statement about the cancelation of her participation in Semper Opera Ball in Dresden on February 7 because of the refusal of Azerbaijani opera singer Yusif Eyvazov to sing with an Armenian singer.

In the statement René Massis, the representative of Ruzan Mantashyan urged chairman and artistic director of Dresden Opera Ball Hans-Joachim Frey to apologize from Ruzan Mantashyan.

“Dear Mister Frey,
You persist in expressing yourself through your press organs by inflexibly staying on your positions.
We must therefore adopt the same means of communication to respond to you.

In your article, you seem voluntarily to mix up different issues to muddy the waters.
You are also trying, in an intentionally sinuous way, to explain the working methods of artistic companies.
In the content of your article, there are two things to distinguish:

On the one hand, there are the human and cultural values of SemperOpernball.
You highlight the presence of artists from all horizons - including Armenians - in your past events.
We have never disputed this reality, we even explicitly welcomed it in our press release of January 14. You see that, in this area, we recognize your respectability and that of SemperOpernball.

On the other hand, there is the controversy born from the refusal of Mr. Eyvazov to perform with Miss Mantashyan for "political reasons," event which led to the cancellation of the engagement of our artist.

One could think that you were forced to do so before the intransigence of your Guest Star. This is not what would have been desirable, but the facts are there: Ruzan Mantashyan has been withdrawn from the project.
The best attitude would have been, to say the least, to apologize to Miss Mantashyan.
In this case, we could have tried to overcome this lamentable situation.
You haven't even considered it necessary to establish a personal contact.
Instead, in your press release of January 15, you dismiss, in an arrogant and insulting tone, the concrete arguments we produce to back up the facts of our version.
By doing so, do you really want us to take another step and take this litigation to a further level ?”, reads the statement of René Massis, posted on Ruzan Mantashyan’s Facebook page.

There were media reports on January 13 that Azerbaijani opera singer Yusif Eyvazov had refused to sing with Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan for “political reasons”. The two singers were scheduled to sing together on February 7 at Semper Opera Ball in Dresden.

Later the Azerbaijani singer denied the accusations, publishing the statement of Semper Opera Ball, according to which the Opera Ball had no contract with the Armenian singer.

 

But back in December a statement had been issued, where Ruzan Mantashyan was mentioned as one of the singers. The final contract was not signed yet only for the reason that thgey negotiations were not over yet, but the agreement on the participation of the Armenian singer had been already reached.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

 

 

https://armenpress.a...HEIos4NGt13J_cI

[onjig]

My she is very beautiful isn't she ~ God love her ~ she can sing for us any day ```

 

 

 

 

I would like also to say ~ they'r  a pack of dirty bastards all ```

[Yervant1]

Same garbage from the same idiots, but a different event! It's unbelievable the amount of insecurity coming from the azeries and their cohorts the turks!

News.am, Armenia

Jan 22 2020

 

 

Maria Gevorgyan: FIDE bans organizer of Turkish tournament who asked Armenian delegate to cancel participation

By Lusine Shahbazyan

Armenia’s chess champion Maria Gevorgyan said the FIDE had banned organizers of  Sivas Buruciye international tournament hosted by Turkey after the scandal involving her and Azerbaijani delegate.

Back in 2019 Maria Gevorgyan received an invitation to participate in the tournament, but several days later got a letter from the organizer Mustafa Eroglu who told her that her ticket and accommodation had been canceled as the Azerbaijani delegates refused to participate in the tournament if she did.

“FIDE has banned Mustafa Eroglu, the organizer of the Sivas Buruciye international tournament. He will no longer be able to organize tournaments. The problem is that the organizer was banned, but Azerbaijani chess player who put forward the demand was not,” she said in an exclusive interview with NEWS.am Sport.

“The Armenian chess federation also believes that the chess player who had put forward such a demand has to be punished, but I was too busy to deal with the matter. However, we will be consistent, and everyone will be punished over this incident”.  

https://sport.news.a...ticipation.html

 

 

[MosJan]

"Armenian soprano RUZAN MANTASHYAN has been re-invited to participate at SemperOpera ball on February 7, 2020 in Dresden. She will sing Tatiana's Letter Aria - Сцена письма: "Пускай погибну я, но прежде..." "Let me die, but first...", from Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky.

Ռուզան Մանթաշյանը “վերահրավիրվեց”մասնակցելու Դրեզդենում փետրվարի 7-ին տեղի ունենալիք Օպերային Պարահանդեսին: Նա կերգի՝ կատարելով Տատյանայի արիան Չայկովսկու “Եվգենի Օնեգին” օպերայից"

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Jan 23 2020

 

 

Culture 22:43 23/01/2020 World

Dresden Opera Ball sent a new invitation to Armenian soprano following the scandal

Semper Opera Ball reviewed its decision regarding the cancellation of the performance of renowned Armenian singer Ruzan Mantashyan at the planned Semper Opera Ball in February.
As world-famous opera singer Hasmik Papian wrote on her Facebook page, a new invitation was sent to the Armenian soprano. Mantashyan is expected to perform Tatiana aria from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin on February 7. 

As reported earlier, the Armenian singer was invited to perform at The Semper Opera Ball and was scheduled to sing a duet with an American tenor; however, he was unavailable to perform. As a result, the opera house replaced the American tenor with Azerbaijan’s Yusif Eyvazov. The latter reportedly refused to share the stage with Mantashyan, citing her nationality and demanded she be fired from the program.

“The decision of the Semper Opera Ball is a victory. By raising this matter, we helped the German side to review their decision and restore the justice at the same time save their face,” Papyan wrote.

 

https://www.panorama...Scandal/2227919

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Soprano Ruzan Mantashyan accepts offer to perform at SemperOpernball as Eyvazov’s sabotage fails

 

 

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 17:15, 23 January, 2020

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan will eventually perform at the SemperOpernball February 7 theater concert in Dresden as scheduled initially.

“I was offered to perform at the concert. After lengthy deliberations I accepted the offer. That itself will be a victory”, Mantashyan told ARMENPRESS.

On January 13th, media reports said Azerbaijani singer Yusif Eyvazov has refused to perform with Mantashyan due to “political concerns”. The two singers were scheduled to perform together on February 7 at Semper Opernball.

Afterwards, the Azerbaijani singer claimed on his social media account that the reports are fake news. He published a news release by Semper Opernball which reportedly showed that the festival didn’t even have a contract with Mantashyan regarding her performance.

However, a December 2019 news release included Mantashyan in the list of performers and the final contract wasn’t technically yet signed because the negotiations weren’t yet completed. But organizers and Mantashyan had agreed around her performance.

The Armenian soprano then publicly said she expects an apology from the organizers.

Even Armenian lawmakers reacted to the developments, and addressed a letter to the German Bundestag over the Azerbaijani tenor's xenophobic actions.  

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.a...w8V7IWH-s9aWOMU

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Jan 24 2020

 

 

Culture 11:54 24/01/2020 Armenia

Armenian soprano after Dresden scandal: ‘Culture knows no boundaries’

"I strongly believed that culture knows no boundaries and I am glad that this belief is shared by so many people who have supported me with their words and deeds these days," renowned Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan said in a Facebook post.

The singer’s comments came after she was invited back to perform at the Semper Opernball in Dresden, Germany, on February 7. She had been forced out of the performance by Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Ayvazov, who had reportedly refused to share the stage with the Armenian soprano because of her nationality.

Mantashyan is expected to perform Tatiana Aria from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. 

World-famous Armenian singer Hasmik Papian, who had condemned the event organizers from the very first day, declared victory on Facebook on Thursday.

“The decision of the Semper Opera Ball is a victory. By raising this matter, we helped the German side to review their decision and to restore the justice at the same time saving their face,” Papian wrote.

Many German singers were angered by Semper Opernball’s decision to cancel Mantashyan’s performance. 

https://www.panorama...ra-ball/2227960

[MosJan]

https://armeniasputnik.am/culture/20200208/21984267/adrbejancin-partvec-hay-ergchuhun-drezdeni-operayum-hotnkays-en-tcapaharel-tesanyut.html?fbclid=IwAR14nW4PIEq_cQzHfgbupABtMDyKzPEAawEqxMsg_Vw9tkS42lTwXqFRCBU

 

Ադրբեջանցին պարտվեց. հայ երգչուհուն Դրեզդենի օպերայում հոտնկայս են ծափահարել. տեսանյութ

l

 

 

Ադրբեջանցի տենորին չհաջողվեց ձախողել հայ սոպրանոյի փայլուն ելույթը։ Տարաբնույթ քննարկումների առիթ դարձած համերգը Դրեզդենի օպերայի բեմում կայացավ։

ԵՐԵՎԱՆ, 8 փետրվարի — Sputnik. Օպերային երգչուհի Ռուզան Մանթաշյանը Դրեզդենի օպերային թատրոնում կայացած SemperOpernball համերգին հանդես է եկել Պյոտր Չայկովսկու «Եվգենի Օնեգին» օպերայից Տատյանայի արիայի կատարմամբ։

Հայ երգչուհու փայլուն կատարումը YouTube-ի իր ալիքում հրապարակել է Գերմանիայի կենտրոնական հեռարձակող ընկերությունը։

 

 

 

 

Ruzan Mantashyan mit "Briefszene der Tatjana" von Tschaikowski | Semperopernball 2020 | MDR