Monday, December 19, 2022

#MeToo at Juilliard

The other week, VAN Magazine published an important story by music journalist Sammy Sussman, about allegations of sexual improprieties at Juilliard School. These involved the late composer Christopher Rouse and current faculty member Robert Beaser, a former head of the composition department. There are also allegations of discrimination against women by composer John Corigliano. (Corigliano denies this.) Today, Michael Andor Brodeur reports in The Washington Post that Beaser is on leave, pending an investigation into his behavior, and also that hundreds of composers, performers, and artistic leaders have signed a petition asking Juilliard to investigate.

This kind of behavior is everywhere. If you know about sexual harassment, consider reporting it to a journalist, whether you're currently willing to go on the record or not. The more information that can be gathered, the more likely it is that this behavior will become public and investigations will result, whether the miscreant is punished or not.

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