Around the Music Festival

According to Radio Frence, the Secretariat of the Orchestre national de France questioned members of the Orchestra about the appointment of Charles Dutoit as a substitute for Emmanuel Krivine, 83 people said that opposition accounted for 60% by voting. Although the decision to invite Dutoit will not be overturned by the vote, it was highlighted that the opposition against Dutoit, where the alleged sexual harassment emerged, is still strong.

Dutoit conducts a concert on February 3rd, which covers Berlioz’s “La damnation de Faust”. It was a performance positioned at the center of the composer’s birth 150th anniversary performed by the French orchestra in Philharmonie de Paris, meaning the return to the French music world for Dutoit, who had been away from Conducting and sexual harassment suspicion. According to the secretariat, looking for a substitute was extremely difficult, even if the schedule could be taken, it was said that the program was large and was refused by more than fifteen conductors. For that reason he served as a music director of the Orchestre national de France from 1991 to 2001 and settled in the appointment of Dutoit who is familiar with the “La damnation de Faust”.

Regarding the appointment of Dutoit, French soprano singer Anne-Sophie Schmidt, one of the eight women who complained of sexual harassment, has issued a statement immediately after hearing the news. “Eight artists from around the world are courageous and accusing Mr. Dutoit of sexual harassment, I feel very uncomfortable when Mr. Dutoit was appointed.”

Photo：Priska Ketterer