Opera strikes a sour note as it drops 14 musicians for not being ‘diverse’

AROUND half the musicians in the English Touring Opera’s orchestra have been dropped for its spring tour because they were not ‘diverse’ enough.

In a letter to the 14 white musicians, aged 40 to 66, opera director James Conway, 65, said they would not be hired for the 2022 season as it ‘prioritised increased diversity in the orchestra’, adding: ‘This is in line with the firm guidance of the Arts Council.’ Despite being freelancers, many view it as a permanent company. It triggered an intervention from Arts Council England, the opera’s funder. It said: ‘We did not instruct ETO to send this letter. We are now in conversation with ETO to ensure no funding criteria have been breached.’ A source at the public body told the Sunday Times it was wrong to interpret ‘quite loose guidance to think you need to get rid of people. We would never instruct you to do that’. The Musicians’ Union said the move was ‘brutal’.