Yuri Bashmet Stripped of Lviv Academy Professorship over Political Row

It has been announced that violist and conductor Yuri Bashmet will be stripped of his honorary professorship from the Lviv National Music Academy, in the Ukraine - in response to Bashmet's signing of a public letter in support of Russia's military intervention in Crimea.

The letter, published in a prominent Russian newspaper on March 11th was signed by 86 figures from the Russian cultural world – including conductor Valery Gergiev.

A statement published on the Academy's website has stated:  ‘By putting his signature to the appeal in support of military aggression against the country where he grew up, Yuri Bashmet has shown that he is not worthy of such titles, nor the name of “Maestro”