Sir, – David Moriarty says that the Dublin International Piano Competition is wrong in banning individual Russian pianists (Letters, March 15th).
He misses the point about sanctions. Sanctions are designed not just to isolate an offending state politically and economically, but also to isolate a country culturally and to demonstrate to the Russian population how the world disapproves of the Russian government.
All artists and musicians, regardless of nationality, who work in Russia, pay any taxes in Russia or who receive any Russian state sponsorship should be banned, not just from the piano competition, but from all other musical and cultural activities such as ballet, opera, theatre and orchestral concerts.
I look forward to hearing that other Irish cultural groups are taking a similar stance.
– Yours, etc,
FINBAR KEARNS,
Piercestown, Co Wexford.