Conductor Robert Jindra. (source: TASR - Pavel Neubauer)
Robert Jindra, the chief conductor of the Košice State Philharmonic, has resigned from his position just several days after publicly criticising Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová. The Czech artist voiced his concerns over the minister’s recent controversial dismissals of two directors.
Last week, the minister dismissed the director of the National Gallery and the National Museum without naming significant managerial failures for their removal. Former director Alexandra Kusá from the National Gallery and Matej Drlička, the former head of the National Theatre, are among those who have criticised the minister’s actions regarding public media and culture, which many believe to be autocratic attempts to control the cultural landscape in Slovakia.
Earlier this week, the minister faced a two-day protest in Bratislava, attended by nearly 30,000 people.
“Let’s stop this incompetent person who is ruining Slovak culture,” Jindra wrote on social media last week. “Slovakia, my dear friends, I'm with you.”
He also signed a petition calling for the minister’s dismissal, which has garnered over 180,000 signatures.
Vulgar term in Facebook post
In another post on his private Facebook profile, Jindra referred to Šimkovičová with a derogatory term, according to a screenshot shared by the minister on Telegram. Jindra later removed the post from Facebook. This post led to expectations that Jindra might lose his position.
“The use of such language by an employee of a state cultural institution is shocking and unacceptable,” stated the ministry in a press release.
As of Wednesday afternoon, August 14, Jindra was no longer employed by the Košice Philharmonic. He had held the position of chief conductor since 2021. It is currently unclear who will conduct the concerts that were planned with him.
Robert Jindra. (source: Facebook/Košice State Philharmonic/Jakub Šimoňák)
Jindra emphasised that his private opinions do not represent the stance of the institutions with which he is affiliated. “My purely private statements on entirely different matters, even those made over a month ago and taken out of context, have been deliberately and purposefully pieced together.” He explained that his derogatory remark was a reaction to the minister’s homophobic comments from early July, in which she attacked LGBT+ people and spoke about the supposed extinction of the white race in Europe due to LGBT+ people. “Her words essentially amounted to categorising people as either necessary or less necessary to society.”
“My post [with the derogatory term] may have offended Mrs. Šimkovičová, but her statements have offended many,” Jindra told the Moja Kultúra website.
Jindra noted that he had not written the entire derogatory term but had used asterisks, and that the comment was made under the pressure of strong emotions.
Director’s contract to end soon
The Košice Philharmonic has thus lost its collaboration with this prominent Czech artist who also works in Prague and guest conducts in German-speaking countries.
The Philharmonic’s director, Lucia Potokárová, met with the culture minister on August 12 and informed her that Jindra had offered his resignation on August 8. It is unclear whether Šimkovičová had requested Jindra’s resignation. However, the artistic board of the Košice State Philharmonic, which is an advisory body to the institution’s director, also discussed the situation and recommended that Potokárová accept the resignation.
Potokárová’s contract as director ends in three weeks. It is unclear whether the ministry will extend her contract. Potokárová had signed a statement from the Association of Slovak Theatres and Orchestras, of which she is a member, criticising the minister for dismissing directors of national institutions without dialogue with the directors themselves.
Potokárová described Jindra as a talented conductor and thanked him for the memorable concerts, noting that his work brought French classical music to Košice.
“Besides undeniable artistic qualities, one of the criteria for selecting a chief conductor is their personal qualities and chemistry with the orchestra. The current situation is all the more regrettable,” she concluded.
