The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK) has launched a global campaign to hold world-renowned violinist Pinchas Zukerman accountable for his racist remarks claiming that “Koreans lack artistic talent in their DNA.”
Recently, Zukerman, 72, made discriminatory comments targeting musicians from Korea, China, and Japan. Born in Israel to Holocaust survivor parents who fled Nazi persecution, Zukerman is currently a professor at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM) in New York. Despite his own history of oppression, he made highly offensive comments about Asian musicians during an online masterclass hosted by The Juilliard School on June 25, 2021.
During the session, Zukerman criticized the performance of two Asian sisters, stating that “Koreans do not sing,” implying that they lack musical expressiveness. When the sisters clarified that they were of Japanese descent, he added, “The same applies to the Japanese.”
At the end of the session, he reaffirmed his claim, stating, “Koreans do not sing. It’s not in their DNA,” shocking the live audience.
Although Juilliard originally planned to upload all recorded sessions from the masterclass, Zukerman’s segment was notably omitted—presumably due to concerns over his highly controversial statements.
This is not the first time Zukerman has made racially insensitive remarks. In the past, he has claimed that “Chinese musicians never use a metronome” and instead “just play fast and loud.” He further instructed his students, “Don’t think that being fast and loud makes you great.”
Zukerman’s remarks reinforce harmful racial stereotypes about Korean, Chinese, and Japanese musicians, demeaning their artistry and talent. This type of discrimination has serious real-world implications.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, hate crimes against Asians have surged globally, particularly in the United States and Europe. Allowing influential figures like Zukerman to spread prejudice and hate speech unchecked only fuels discrimination and violence against Asian communities.
Historically, racism and ethnic hatred have led to some of humanity’s greatest tragedies, including the Holocaust, where 17 million lives were lost under Nazi rule. The genocide at Auschwitz, where over a million people perished, serves as a grim reminder of the consequences of unchecked racial hatred, discrimination, and oppression.
To combat Zukerman’s racism, VANK has launched a global campaign demanding accountability. The organization has filed a petition on the world’s largest petition platform, calling for disciplinary action from the Manhattan School of Music.
In addition, VANK has created a digital poster exposing Zukerman’s racist remarks and will distribute it worldwide. The poster draws parallels between Nazi war crimes and Zukerman’s discrimination against Asians, sending a strong warning to the international community about the dangers of racial prejudice.
VANK urges not only Koreans but also global communities, including Korean diaspora groups, to participate in this campaign, hoping to bring greater awareness to the deep-rooted discrimination against Asians in Western societies.