Conductor François-Xavier Roth was reconfirmed today as the next chief conductor of Germany’s SWR Symphony Orchestra. The decision comes in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations that resulted in Roth’s termination last week as leader of Cologne’s Gürzenich Orchestra and Cologne Opera.
SWR, the public broadcasting corporation serving southwestern Germany, explained its decision as the result of an audit of the periods between 2011 and 2016, when Roth was chief conductor of the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg, and between 2020 and 2022, when Roth worked as a guest conductor with the SWR Symphony Orchestra. During these periods, SWR received no complaints or reports against Roth’s behavior.
In addition, SWR announced it will implement “preventive measures,” including the distribution of roles and responsibilities among several people when interacting with the chief conductor and management — essentially a “safety in numbers” approach. The organization will also add training courses and appoint “a person of trust” within the orchestra.
Roth’s reconfirmation is not the first time SWR’s employment practices have courted controversy. The SWR Symphony Orchestra’s current chief conductor, Teodor Currentzis, is widely criticized for working with associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Currentzis announced in September 2022 that he would step down at the end of his term in 2025, at which point Roth would take the helm.
Source (via Google Translate)
