Viola player could win £1m because sitting in front of brass section damaged his hearing
A LEADING musician who claims his hearing was damaged by loud music has won a landmark court case against the Royal Opera House.
Christopher Goldscheider says he was exposed to unacceptable noise levels at the London venue in 2012.
The viola player, 45, suffered “acoustic shock” after sitting in front of an 18-strong brass section rehearsing Wagner’s Ring Cycle.
The High Court heard how, despite wearing ear plugs, the level of noise was “devastating” for Mr Goldscheider, who has been unable to return to work and has also had to give up playing and listening to music.
His claim for lost earnings alone is almost £750,000. The full compensation total could be close to £1million as Mr Goldscheider is also claiming for a diminished lifestyle.
The case, which is the first of its kind, could have serious repercussions for all live music venues.
Mr Goldscheider, from Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, told the court in London that he had learned to manage his condition by avoiding certain sounds that could cause him pain.
He said: “Since I left the opera house, I have had a fairly quiet existence. I get symptoms if I go into a loud environment or I am very susceptible to vibrations, from large fridges for example.
“I know these things make me unwell so I avoid them. It can be anything that is above the norm, so a noisy restaurant would do it.”
The court heard that on the day in question, Mr Goldscheider was exposed to an average noise level of 91 decibels over a three-hour period – enough to give rise to a “substantial risk of injury”.
The levels were being recorded at the time as there had been previous complaints from other members of the orchestra.
Lawyers for the Royal Opera House Foundation said Mr Goldscheider’s claim was in “many ways bizarre” and said his condition was not caused by playing in the orchestra.
They also said the venue had gone “as far and, if anything, further than the reasonable employer” to reduce noise levels.
Mrs Justice Nicola Davies yesterday ruled in favour of Mr Goldscheider on the issues of breach of duty and causation of injury. Damages will be assessed at a later date.