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The show must be paused: the classical world falls silent to honour George Floyd
2 June 2020, 18:01 | Updated: 3 June 2020, 07:42
Musicians, concert halls and opera houses unite in support of ‘Blackout Tuesday’, following the heartless murder of George Floyd.
The world of classical music has fallen silent today to observe ‘Blackout Tuesday’, in a powerful show of solidarity for Black Lives Matter.
Last weekend, the tragic death of African American man George Floyd sparked outrage across the globe and has led to mass protests in both the United States, many parts of the UK and elsewhere.
The 46-year-old, who was known to his loved ones as “Big Floyd”, was mercilessly killed by white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, who has since been arrested and charged with third-degree murder.
Now, artists and venues have joined forces on social media in an act of political intervention by participating in The Show Must Be Paused – set up by music industry executives Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang to demonstrate against racism and police brutality.
Thomas and Agyemang wrote on Instagram: “Tuesday, June 2nd is meant to intentionally disrupt the work week. Monday suggests a long weekend and we can't wait until Friday for change. It is a day to take a beat for an honest, reflective and productive conversation about what actions we need to collectively take to support the Black community.”
Here are just some of the moving messages shared by those in the music industry:
Posted by André Rieu on Tuesday, 2 June 2020
It’s been powerful to see the industry pause for a moment and reflect in this way.
