Preeminent conductor John Eliot Gardiner announced today he will step down from the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras (MCO), the organization he founded in 1964, almost one year following reports he physically assaulted singer William Thomas during a performance.
The assault, which Gardiner acknowledges occurred between acts of Berlioz’s “Les Troyens” in La Côte-Saint-André, France, in August 2023, resulted in the conductor temporarily stepping away from the podium to seek counseling.
“I have undergone extensive therapy and other counselling over the past 11 months and have learned a great deal about myself and my past behaviour,” Gardiner wrote in a prepared statement. “But I have reached the conclusion that the best way forward for both myself and for the MCO is to accept that a clear change in our relationship is necessary now for the good of both parties.
The MCO will continue without its founder, including ongoing projects with conductors Dinis Sousa, Jonathan Sells, and Peter Whelan. Gardiner, in his statement, said he will not retire but instead focus on a reduced schedule with guest conducting, recording, writing, creative, and education projects.
