Volkov had just finished conducting the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in a programme of Gabrieli, Stravinsky, and Brahms’ Second Symphony when he stepped forward and addressed the audience—in remarks the BBC had not approved or broadcast.
“Thank you all for sharing this amazing music together,” Volkov began, according to media reports. “It’s a real privilege to be here every year with my friends, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.”
Then his tone shifted. “In my heart, there is great pain now, every day for months,” he said. “I come from Israel and live there. I love it, it’s my home, but what’s happening is atrocious and horrific on a scale that’s unimaginable.”
Volkov condemned the high civilian death toll and destruction of infrastructure in Gaza, speaking of “innocent Palestinians being killed in their thousands, displaced, without hospitals and schools, not knowing when the next meal is.” He also acknowledged the hostages and prisoners held by both sides.
The audience responded with both applause and dissent. To critics, Volkov replied: “You can go if you don’t want politics. Politics is part of life, every day.” When someone tried to freeze his speech, he said, “You will let me finish, and then you can curse me all your life. No problem.”
In closing, he urged the international community to intervene. “Israelis, Jews, and Palestinians won’t be able to stop this alone. I ask you all to do whatever is in your power to stop this madness. Every little action counts while governments hesitate and wait. We cannot let this go on any longer. Every moment that passes puts the safety of millions at risk.”
The BBC later confirmed it had not been informed Volkov would make a political statement. The live broadcast was cut off just before he began speaking.
Volkov, one of the most prominent Israeli musicians working in Europe, joins a growing number of artists breaking ranks with institutions over the war in Gaza — raising questions over how cultural platforms respond when politics enters the concert hall.
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