Choral Ethics: Another One

“There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” Madeleine Albright

For those of you too busy with concerts and the end of the semester to keep up with current events, here’s another story in the news about inappropriate conduct in the Classical Music World. It concerns one of our country’s premier orchestras, the New York Philharmonic, and it is awful. I will not mention names, you can Google this story (originally in New York Magazine) if you wish, and I will attempt to avoid any details which could be triggering, but you’ve been warned.

In 2010, the NYPhil did a residency in Aspen. Among the musicians participating were two women brass players who had not been tenured. One woman attended an after-concert party and afterwards was invited for a drink at the condo of a tenured member of the orchestra and his friend, also a tenured NYPhil musician. They had a night-cap in the condo’s hot-tub, and she woke up in bed in the condo the next morning, having no memory of what happened to her after she got in the hot-tub. She believes she was drugged and assaulted; there is proof of both, but the tenured musician claimed it was consensual.

This was not the first time this particular tenured musician was accused of an assault such as this, nor was it the last. He seemed to have gotten away with it in this instance, however, about ten days ago, he and his friend were suspended from the orchestra. It has been almost fourteen years since the incident with the woman brass player and he seems to be finally held accountable. This is due, in part, to an investigative reporter doing some digging about ANOTHER scandal in ANOTHER New York classical music organization. It’s shameful, really.

Both women brass players are doing all right, despite not being given tenure by the NYPhil. But it boggles the mind WHY they were not supported or believed at that time, fourteen years ago. The Aspen police claimed they didn’t have enough (or conflicting) information to do anything. The NYPhil—and the local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians—claimed this incident was not cause for termination of the male musicians. However, not only was the woman brass player not granted tenure but her friend, the other woman brass player, was not granted tenure for sticking by her. Think about that; by trying to do the right and ETHICAL thing and support her friend, the other woman brass player was ALSO punished.

Many people at the time chose not to support or believe the woman brass player, except her fellow woman brass player. She was chastised for accusing a tenured member of the orchestra of such abuse. Her friend was told she had no right to speak ill of a tenured member of the orchestra. Both women, despite glowing performance reviews before this event, were not granted tenure. It seems both women, good enough on their instruments to be considered for tenure at the NYPhil, were punished for speaking up. Before they left the orchestra, they were compelled to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which is still in force, so many details are not available. So if you have questions, there may not be answers right now.

In many ways, this story is nothing new. It is a bit disconcerting to have it happen in such a prominent orchestra, but it is not new. Women (and men too) have not been believed or supported when they bring up abuse by someone in power or by someone who believes they should not be held to the same standards as the rest of us mere mortals. There will be more stories such as this, with more prominent organizations and musicians involved, it is just a matter of time.

Your thoughts and comments are welcomed in the comment section below.