Italy cancels concert with pro-Putin conductor Gergiev

ROME (Reuters) -Italian authorities have cancelled a classical concert scheduled for Sunday following criticism over the attendance of a top Russian conductor shunned in the West since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Valery Gergiev, who is widely regarded as close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, had been expected to lead an Italian orchestra and soloists from St Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, which he leads, on July 27.

The Reggia di Caserta palace near Naples, which had been due to host the event, said in a short statement on Monday that it had been cancelled. It gave no reason.

The performance had drawn criticism last week from Italian politicians and international activists, including the wife of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who called for its cancellation.

Gergiev, 72, who is also director of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, did not respond to a request for comment by Reuters.

The concert was part of a festival organised by the Campania region, which includes Naples. Regional leader Vincenzo De Luca had defended it, saying that artists should not be held responsible for the actions of their national governments.

De Luca, a critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, had pointed to another festival concert led by Israeli conductor Daniel Oren, to highlight efforts to keep "channels of communication open even with those who do not think like us".

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said last week that the Gergiev concert risked "turn(ing) a high-level but objectively controversial and divisive musical event into a sounding board for Russian propaganda".

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Timothy Heritage)