Italian protests against the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Zubin Mehta

Following in the footsteps of the protesters at the Royal Albert Hall on the 1st of this month, the Italian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel have announced their intention to boycott Zubin Mehta's forthcoming concerts with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Milan and Turin.

In a statement they say that, like the protesters in London, they will be outside the Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan on September 13 and the Auditorium Giovanni Agnelli–Lingotto in Turin on September 14. They don't say that their protest will continue inside the theatres.

They previously asked the organisers of this three-week music festival, MITO (Milano-Torino), to cancel the programme, drawing note to a phrase on the orchestra's website:

The IPO plays in subscription series, … and special concerts for IDF soldiers at their outposts”.

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.