Famed conductor Charles Dutoit accused of sexual misconduct
SAN FRANCISCO - Three opera singers and a classical musician say that world-renowned conductor Charles Dutoit sexually assaulted them - physically restraining them, forcing his body against theirs, sometimes thrusting his tongue into their mouths, and in one case, sticking one of their hands down his pants.
In separate interviews with The Associated Press, the accusers provided detailed accounts of incidents they say occurred between 1985 and 2010 in a moving car, the two-time Grammy winner's hotel suite, his dressing room, an elevator and the darkness of backstage.
The women accuse the 81-year-old artistic director and principal conductor of London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of sexual misconduct on the sidelines of rehearsals and performances in five cities - Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Saratoga Springs, New York.
"He threw me against the wall, shoved my hand down his pants and shoved his tongue down my throat," retired mezzo-soprano Paula Rasmussen recounted of an incident she said occurred in his dressing room at the LA Opera in September 1991. She refused to ever be alone with the Swiss-born conductor again, she said.
Soprano Sylvia McNair, herself a two-time Grammy winner, said Dutoit "tried to have his way" with her at a hotel after a rehearsal with the Minnesota Orchestra in 1985.
"As soon as it was just the two of us in the elevator, Charles Dutoit pushed me back against the elevator wall and pressed his knee way up between my legs and pressed himself all over me," she said.
The other two accusers did not want to be identified, saying they feared speaking up because the power the famous maestro wields could lead to them being blacklisted from the industry.
Dutoit, who holds the titles of conductor laureate of the Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor emeritus of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, did not respond to multiple attempts to reach him through the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and his office in Montreal. The Royal Philharmonic said Dutoit was currently on vacation, but that it had forwarded the AP's emailed requests for comment directly to him. The AP also reached out to Dutoit's office with several phone calls and emails.
In a long, distinguished career, he also has led highly regarded orchestras in Paris and Montreal, and traveled the globe as a guest conductor. He is scheduled to conduct the New York Philharmonic next month in a four-day program honoring Ravel.
All four accusers' stories are similar, and the AP spoke with their colleagues and friends, who confirmed that each of the women shared details of their experiences at the time.
One of the women who asked not to be identified said Dutoit attacked her three times in 2006 and once in 2010, grabbing her breasts, pinning her wrists against his dressing room wall and telling her that they would make better music if she willingly kissed him.
All four women said Dutoit either lured them to a private place to discuss or practice music, or simply seized a moment alone to make his move. The women all said they resisted him and escaped. They said they never filed formal complaints because they were young and Dutoit was the maestro.
In interviews with the AP, more than a dozen singers, musicians and stage staff spoke of a culture of sexual misconduct in the classical music world that they said has long been implicitly tolerated by people in positions of authority.
Dutoit's accusers said they felt inspired by all the women speaking out about sexual misconduct by powerful men in Hollywood, politics, the media and other industries, and ultimately felt empowered to break their silence after the Metropolitan Opera suspended conductor James Levine earlier this month when misconduct accusations surfaced.
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CORNERED IN AN ELEVATOR
"I never went to the police. I never went to company management. Like everyone else, I looked the other way," said Sylvia McNair, now 61. "But it is time now to speak out."
McNair was 28 in March 1985 when she worked with Dutoit at the Minnesota Orchestra where he was conducting and she was singing the Bach B Minor Mass.
After a rehearsal, McNair said she returned to her hotel with Dutoit and other performers and that the elevator gradually emptied until only she and the conductor remained. Dutoit immediately jumped her, she said, forcefully restraining her against the elevator wall and pushing his body into hers.
"I managed to shove him off and right at that moment, the elevator door opened. I remember saying, 'Stop it!' And I made a dash for it," she said.
When she got to her room, she said she almost immediately called another singer who had been in the elevator with them.
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