Orchestra: Dutoit sexual misconduct allegations ‘credible’

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Dutoit has said he’s “appalled and sickened” by the rape allegation, which he called a “bewildering and baseless charge.”

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Dutoit has not been charged with any crimes. An email sent to Dutoit’s business office in Montreal, Canada, went unanswered.

Dutoit, who married Canadian violinist Chantal Juillet in 2010, was the artistic director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra between 1977 and 2002.

Dutoit stepped down as artistic director and principal conductor at London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra following the allegations. He has also led orchestras in Philadelphia, Paris, and Tokyo and travelled widely as a guest conductor.

Allan, who is also president of the UK Theatre Association, alleges Dutoit pushed her against a wall and put his hand on her breast while she was delivering papers to his dressing room at Tanglewood, the orchestra’s summer home in Massachusetts’ Berkshires, in 1997.

Neither Allan nor the other women complained to management about the incidents at the time, the orchestra said. A spokeswoman at the Birmingham Hippodrome didn’t immediately comment.

Dutoit was a longtime guest conductor for the Boston Symphony Orchestra but never held a formal role. The orchestra was among a number of prominent orchestras to quickly sever ties with Dutoit after The Associated Press reported on allegations by Allan and other women in December.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Allan has done.

In light of the new allegations, the orchestra said it was revoking an honour it bestowed on Dutoit in 2016 and taking a number of internal steps, including creating a secure hotline to handle “complaints and concerns.”

“Let me be clear that we want to send a strong message that any form of sexual harassment or assault goes completely against our values and will not be tolerated,” Mark Volpe, the orchestra’s managing director, said in a statement. “The Boston Symphony Orchestra is extraordinarily thankful to the women who participated in its independent investigation and shared information about their experiences.”

Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press