In the past we have blogged about the famed Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's dedication of his latest Symphony #4 to Mikhail Khodorkovsky.  Tonight at 8PM at the Toronto Centre for the Arts this work will debut.  For my fellow Canadian citizens and blog readers, please get out there to Yonge street to see this unique event if you can!Personally, I am very heartened to see the arts community step so admirably to support human rights in Russia, when so many others have been hesistant.  From our past concerts in Paris, to the upcoming performance in Leipzig, and the recent arrival of student sketch artists to the trial in Moscow, it really feels like an awakening is taking place.  Let's hope this continues....

In the past we've blogged about the composer Arvo Pärt dedicating a symphony to Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and given the second show trial, he has spoken out again in his defense.  Below is a follow up from Helsingin Sanomat:

"He is a genius, amazing, a great talent, who has a warm heart and a pure vision."This is how Estonian composer Arvo Pärt describes jailed Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky, to whom he has dedicated his fourth symphony (Los Angeles).The European première was in Helsinki on Thursday, April 16th, just a few months after the world's first performance, which was conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen in Los Angeles. "All of the bad things that you have read about Khodorkovsky is propaganda put out by the Russian state", Pärt declares. "I have not met ...