In 2008, billionaire investor Alberto Vilar, 73, was convicted of stealing from clients and sentenced to nine years in prison. Vilar is currently appealing the conviction, free on bail while awaiting his re-sentencing.
One of the conditions of his release is an 11 p.m. curfew. Vilar requested that his curfew be extended so he might attend the October 12 performance of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the Metropolitan Opera.
Vilar had free tickets to the performance--courtesy of his friend, Maestro Valery Gergiev.
Judge Richard J. Sullivan was, at first, unwilling to allow Vilar to attend the opera (which runs until 11:35 p.m.). Vilar's lawyer, Vivian Shevitz, appealed the ruling, and the judge relented.
Vilar's curfew was thus extended to 1:30 a.m., and he enjoyed front-row seats--worth $255.00--to the sold-out production.
It seems that Gergiev, who has taken heat for his support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has another controversial friendship.
Gay rights protesters disrupted the opening night of Onegin, demanding that Gergiev speak up about Putin's anti-gay legislation in Russia. Gergiev has, so far, maintained his silence on this subject.
Gergiev is one of the few who have stuck by Vilar throughout his trial, conviction and imprisonment. According to a New York Times report, Gergiev helped Vilar by posting $500,000 towards his bail in 2005.
It's not surprising that Vilar would want to attend Eugene Onegin, one of this season's hottest tickets. Before he was convicted, Vilar was perhaps best known for his generous support of the arts, especially opera.
He has donated a total of $33 million to the Metropolitan Opera.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Vilar pledged $14 million to Gergiev and the old Kirov Opera in 2000, leading Norman Lebrecht at "Slipped Disc" to dub him, "...the financier who gave more money to opera than any other man or bank."
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