British pianist banned from Vietnam

By Amy Bourke • May 29, 2007 - 14:52

Vietnamese officials say that they cannot guarantee the safety of the award-winning pianist.

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A famous British concert pianist has been banned from performing in Vietnam because officials are worried about his sexuality.

Vietnamese authorities refused to grant Stephen Hough a license to play because they thought he would be a security risk, according to The Telegraph.

The company who invited him to play in Vietnam, Hennessy, promptly withdrew their invitation to the award-winning musician.

The pianist told The Telegraph: "The engagement was booked six months ago and everything was going ahead.

Yesterday I found out that the Ministry for Culture and Information had been to my website and decided that they could not guarantee my personal safety."

It is believed that the officials withdrew permission because of an article on Hough's website which denounces the Catholic Church's position on homosexuality.

Hough has been a Roman Catholic since the age of 19, and has often written on his sexuality's relationship with both his music and his religion.

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