Following the embarrassing cancellation near Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Putin's violinist Vadim Repin is now hoping to perform at Maryland Hall, closer to the White House, on November 6-7, 2026. Repin has been invited to be a guest artist for the 65th anniversary season of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (ASO).
Last week, Arts Against Aggression released an open letter calling for the cancellation of his performance.
This has already been reported by The Baltimore Sun, The Capital Gazette and The Violin Channel.
The newspapers are questioning the orchestra about what has changed since February 2022, when the ASO canceled Vadim Repin's concert in solidarity with Ukraine and instead held a charity concert, with proceeds from ticket sales going to the Ukraine Crisis Fund through care.org. At that time, audience members were encouraged to wear yellow and blue, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, to show their support.
The orchestra did not answer this specific question.
“Our focus remains on the art itself—creating opportunities for understanding, connection, and shared experience through live performances,” the orchestra’s statement said.
However, the answer to this question is obvious. In 2025, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra appointed a new executive director, Erica Bondarev Rapach.
Erica's journey into arts management, according to her own profile, began over 5,000 miles from the U.S. when she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Russia, where she played violin with the Volgograd Symphony Orchestra. Producing the ensemble’s first-ever U.S. tour sparked her interest in managing arts organizations and led her to graduate studies at American University.
Notably, Erica was affiliated with the American University during the time when former Russian Ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, was actively engaging with the institution. His involvement became controversial after revelations of his behind-the-scenes networking in Washington. This situation became even more scandalous following the 2017 arrest of Russian spy Maria Butina, a graduate student at American University who was involved in U.S.-Russian relations.
According to her profile, Erica is fluent in Russian, and her Facebook profile suggests that she visited Russia recently, making it difficult for her to remain unaware of the political climate there and Repin’s role in propagandistic activities. She is also likely aware of the uproar that Vadim Repin's previous cancellations have stirred in the Russian state media, which underscores his high rank in cultural propaganda.
Vadim Repin's performance in the Washington vicinity right after the midterms is no coincidence. Before this, he tried to perform near Mar-A-Lago in hopes of “building bridges” with Russian-friendly American politicians. He is also scheduled to perform in Bulgaria, where Bulgaria's Kremlin-friendly ex-president has just won the election.
Repin’s performance is partially funded by the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC.org) and the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County (ACAAC.org). Taxpayers ought to question these organizations on why their money is being used to promote a favorable image of Putin’s Russia and provide a platform for artists loyal to his regime.
Author: Dmitry Smelansky
