Conductor Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra accused of misconduct



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Two female singers accuse Royal Concertgebouw conductor Daniele Gatti of transgressive sexual behavior. In a very comprehensive Washington Post article on sexual misconduct in the world of classical music, they recount incidents in 1996 and 2000, long before Gatti took office in Amsterdam (in 2016).

Soprano Alicia Berneche At 24, she says that Gatti, aged ten, invited her in 1996 for a coaching session. But when she joined him in the locker room to make an appointment, he grabbed her by the buttocks and tried to kiss him. Another soprano, Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, draws a similar incident, four years later in Bologna, where she plays a role in the opera The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner

Gatti shows Through a spokesman the newspaper knows that the allegations surprise him. "Whenever I approached anyone, I did it with the belief that the interest was mutual, a long time ago, but if I hurt somebody one, I'm sincerely apologizing. "

Great Influence

] Soprano Berneche says she had wanted to point out Gatti's unwanted approach to the Ryan Opera Center in Chicago. But someone to whom she submitted it advised her. "If you open your mouth, you will be fired, and it will continue." Finally, she took responsibility and wrote a letter to Gatti in which she apologized for having been imposed on her.

In the Washington Post article, Gatti 's orchestra conductor is only one set of examples of sexual abuse in the musical world. to describe. "At the top of the world of classical music, stars often do not have to account for their behavior," the paper writes. The reporters said that they have spoken over the past six months with more than fifty people from the music world who have had to deal with sexual misconduct.

The picture they draw is similar to what has happened since the charges against producer Harvey Weinstein. exist. "Conservatory young musicians and training programs are particularly vulnerable." Teachers have a great influence on their students' future careers: praise can open doors for them, but they can stay closed forever "

Wresting career

Musicians, singers and singers like to be silent as actors and actresses. Describing the unwanted behavior of a big star or influential teacher can devastate your career, or at least lead to a lot less work.

The American Union of Musicians says that they have had an online system for three years where people can anonymously report sexual harassment. But this is only used since the outbreak of the # MeToo case last fall. "It says a lot about the climate," says a union leader. "It was too risky to complain."

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