Former opera director denies assault allegations
Police have not arrested Lipton and do not know where he’s living
A former artistic director of Opera Hamilton and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra wanted on a sexual assault warrant told an American media outlet the accusation is “completely fabricated.”
Daniel Lipton, once a high profile member of the local music scene and now wanted by Hamilton police, told the Tampa Bay Times he recalled the incident in the late 1980s as a “date” with a former friend that he learned had gone wrong “after the fact.”
Lipton told the newspaper he had been misinterpreted and had not assaulted anyone. Hamilton police issued the warrant for Lipton in February 2017 after a year-long investigation by their sexual assault unit into an allegation of a single, serious sexual assault from about 30 years ago.
The warrant was issued while the maestro was artistic director at Opera Tampa in Florida.
Police have not arrested Lipton and do not currently know where he lives. Lipton has not returned to Canada in the past year and so the warrant has not been executed.
The complainant is a woman who is now in her 70s and living in Toronto with her spouse.
At the time of the alleged sexual assault, between January 1988 and January 1990, she lived in Hamilton and moved in the same social circles as Lipton, according to lawyer Sandra Antoniani who is acting on the woman’s behalf.
The woman’s identity is protected by an automatic publication ban.
A 75-year-old Canadian man who says he is married to the complainant told the Tampa Bay Times it is an “incredible story.”
“In terms of the person he assaulted, it was so out of her experience,” the paper reported. “The story is so extreme, so traumatic.”
Lipton was the HPO’s artistic adviser in the 1999-2000 season. Before that he was with Opera Hamilton, making his conducting debut in September 1986 and eventually becoming its artistic director. Opera Hamilton no longer exists.
Lipton joined Opera Tampa in 2012 and while there did guest conducting stints in Belgium and Beijing, and gave master classes in Italy.
Lipton, now in his late 70s, left Opera Tampa suddenly six months ago with almost a year still remaining in his contract.
On the website of an artist management company that includes Lipton on its roster, it says he left Opera Tampa “in pursuit of new avenues of artistic endeavours.”
Opera Tampa said it did not know about the Hamilton allegation or arrest warrant until being told by media on Wednesday.
Det. Sgt. Dave Dunbar of the Sexual Assault Unit says the woman came forward around the time Lipton made a special return visit to Hamilton in January 2016 to guest conduct the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Anyone with information regarding this matter can contact Det. Dave Dunbar at 905-546-4962 or Det. Candace Culp at 905-5464846 or Crime Stoppers at 905-522TIPS.
The story is so extreme, so traumatic. UNNAMED COMPLAINANT’S HUSBAND