TORONTO -- A Ukrainian-born pianist barred from performing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra who wanted to perform at a north Toronto church tonight won't be permitted to play there.
Valentina Lisitsa tweeted on Thursday that she would give a free concert at Lawrence Park Community Church on Friday and that everyone was welcome.
However, church minister John Suk said they have "not rented the church sanctuary to her."
Suk said in an email to The Canadian Press that the North York Music Festival left a message with the church Thursday to discuss the possibility of a concert. Despite no confirmation, Suk wrote, Lisitsa began tweeting about the concert.
"We would need to have a serious internal discussion among leadership before we could make a commitment to host such a controversial guest," Suk said.
The TSO cancelled Lisitsa's performances Wednesday and Thursday night over what symphony president and CEO Jeff Melanson called "offensive" Twitter posts.
Lisitsa, an ethnic Russian born in Ukraine who now lives in the United States, said she had been accused by the orchestra of "inciting hatred" on Twitter because of her comments on the conflict in Ukraine.
The incident unleashed a firestorm of divisive online commentary, with many taking sides on Twitter and Facebook over whether Lisitsa should have been dropped from the Toronto orchestra.
Suk earlier said the church had no interest in identifying itself with "the attitudes" she expressed.
"Our values would never allow us to align ourselves with the sort of comments Ms. Lisitsa has allegedly made."
Despite being at the centre of the online controversy, Lisitsa is still scheduled to perform with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in June.
