Dutoit dropped by several symphonies
Four women have alleged sexual assault
• The stellar career of world-renowned conductor Charles Dutoit has come crashing down in the wake of sexual assault accusations by three singers and a musician. Symphonies from Boston to Sydney have severed ties with the maestro who spent nearly 25 years with the Montreal Symphony, and he has cancelled guest appearances with other major orchestras.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, where the 81-year-old Dutoit is artistic director and principal conductor, issued a statement Friday saying the symphony and Dutoit “have jointly agreed to release him from his forthcoming concert obligations with the orchestra for the immediate future.”
Meanwhile, orchestras in New York, Chicago and Cleveland announced that Dutoit has withdrawn from upcoming concerts. In addition to Sydney and Boston, the San Francisco Symphony cut ties with Dutoit, citing the “serious nature of the allegations” detailed by The Associated Press. He had been set to appear at the New York Philharmonic next month; the other performances were scattered through 2018.
Aside from the orchestra statements attributed to Dutoit about his voluntary withdrawals, the famous conductor has remained silent since The Associated Press on Thursday reported on the women’s allegations.
They said Dutoit attacked them on the sidelines of rehearsals and performances with orchestras in five cities — Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Saratoga Springs, New York. All four said they never filed complaints because they were young and Dutoit was the maestro.
The women, two who were named, said the Swissborn conductor restrained them, forced his body against theirs, sometimes put his tongue in their mouths and, in one case, stuck her hand down his pants. They said the incidents occurred between 1985 and 2010.
In a distinguished career, Dutoit has travelled the world as a guest conductor and led several highly regarded orchestras, including the Orchestra National de France and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.