Breaking: Leipzig accuses conductor of inappropriate conduct - Slippedisc
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Breaking: Leipzig accuses conductor of inappropriate conduct
Orchestras
norman lebrecht
June 21, 2026
The Bach Archive in Leipzig issued the following statement today:
On 16 June, at the end of a concert as part of the Bachfest, an incident occurred in which a conductor behaved inappropriately towards a member of our events team. The situation took place whilst the audience was applauding in the gallery of St Thomas’s Church. Once the incident came to light, discussions were held with the person concerned and psychological support was offered. The conductor has apologised to her and acknowledged his misconduct.
In a team meeting called at short notice, Director Peter Wollny and Artistic Director Michael Maul identified and condemned the misconduct. The Board will assess the incident with due care once the Bach Festival has concluded and will put in place further measures to ensure a safe working environment.
Some hours later a further statement was communicated on behalf of the conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner. It said:
‘I am shocked and bewildered by the suggestion of a sexual assault, or indeed an assault of any kind, and categorically deny any took place.
This is what actually happened at the end of the concert and there is clear video evidence to support this.
As the musicians were receiving an ovation, I was taken completely by surprise by a tap on the shoulder. I had not been forewarned that a presentation was planned so in the moment I did not understand what was being handed to me or what was expected of me.
I was confused and simply tried to return the scroll. Her hands were full so I placed the scroll behind her neckchain then she went on to hand scrolls to several of the soloists. Had I been told in advance that I would be presented with a commemorative scroll containing seeds of trees dedicated to Bach I would have been delighted to receive it and indeed to plant the seeds at my home in England where I have several acres of woodland.
When it was later drawn to my attention that the person who’d approached me had been upset by what happened I asked to meet her to apologise.
‘I am entirely clear that this was all an unfortunate misunderstanding. This has been confirmed by several of the musicians who were there at the time and saw precisely what occurred. Nevertheless, I deeply regret any distress inadvertently caused and have apologised personally.’
The video clip of the incident seems fairly unheated. The person handing out the scrolls appears to shrug when it is given back to her.
You can read a further report on MDR Leipzig here. According to MDR, the woman concerned has filed a criminal complaint.
https://slippedisc.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-19-at-20.08.11.mp4
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Comments
Deo soli .. says:
June 21, 2026 at 8:23 pm
Oh my God, will it never end? Could they please hire more sensible and educated people in Leipzig to look after these odd musicians after a concert? He may well be a proper arsehole, but he’s a brilliant musician. But we really should avoid foisting these ‘woke’ pseudo-people on him as well.
Reply
La plus belle voix says:
June 21, 2026 at 9:46 pm
Reminds me
of this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=REpNTi-9oRQ&ra=m
in terms of demeanor.
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Amar says:
June 21, 2026 at 11:47 pm
IF this video depicts the incident, it plainly appears that there’s no “there” there. Did I miss a crucial aspect? Tucking the scroll into her necklace perhaps felt awkward. Rising to a criminal act? C’mon.
I know Gardiner’s past bad behavior continues to follow him, and perhaps deservedly so. But—correct me if I’m wrong—his previous alleged harassment fell into the category of “hostile work environment”, and not sexual in nature. I certainly see no clear evidence of the latter in this video. Accept the apology, I say, and move on.
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Sarah says:
June 22, 2026 at 12:38 am
On one side…what is Gardiner doing in that video? It just looks strange. Why take it out her hand then try and stuff it behind her neckchain?
On the other side…should the first reaction to this be to offer the woman ‘psychological support’ then give a statement to the press?
Reply
Evelyn says:
June 22, 2026 at 2:58 am
He is rude but not sexual or any other kind of assault from the video
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Paula DaCosta says:
June 22, 2026 at 5:51 am
I’m sorry where was the sexual assault? I generally don’t like the term snowflake because it’s so often used to undermine legitimate concerns but, as someone that has experienced many frankly terrifying unwanted advances from men, this is nonsense.
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W.S. says:
June 22, 2026 at 6:30 am
This accusation is so ridiculous. What right does this woman have to seek physical contact with...