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Mikhail Pletnev

Mikhail Pletnev plays piano and is a conductor and composer.

In 2010, internationally renowned pianist Mikhail Pletnev was arrested in Pattaya, Thailand, for the alleged rape of a 14-year-old boy. Following the arrest, Thai authorities revoked his visa. Several months later, the criminal investigation into Pletnev ended without charges being filed. In the immediate aftermath of the arrest, Pletnev cancelled several major appearances, including conducting the Russian National Orchestra at the BBC Proms. While the criminal charges were dropped, there is no public record of his visa having been reinstated by the government of Thailand. He continues to maintain an active international performing career.
Mikhail Pletnev

Affiliations


NB: To give a more complete picture of a person's impact on the field, we endeavor to list prominent, long-held, and current affiliations regardless of when any alleged incidents occurred.

Articles

  1. Parfitt, Tom (July 7, 2010). Mikhail Pletnev charged with child molestation in Thailand. The Guardian.

  2. Fuller, Thomas (July 8, 2010). Russian Pianist Charged in Rape of Thai Boy. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 26, 2025.

  3. CNN Wire Staff (July 22, 2010). Thailand revokes visa of Russian pianist accused of rape. CNN. Archived from the original on July 22, 2010.

  4. Sean Michaels (July 22, 2010). Thai government blacklists Russian conductor. The Guardian.

  5. Higgins, Charlotte (December 3, 2010). Child molestation investigation against Russian classical musician dropped. The Guardian.

  6. Wise, Brian (December 5, 2010). Thai Court Ends Case Against Mikhail Pletnev. WQXR. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016.

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