Bachfest Leipzig announced its decision to not withdraw Sir John Eliot Gardiner from the 2027 festival following a sexual harassment investigation involving a staff member.

Following Gardiner’s inappropriate behavior towards a female employee at this year’s Bach Festival, there were calls for the conductor to be disinvited to the upcoming program. Although, the criminal investigation has not yet concluded, the board of the Bach-Archiv Leipzig’s Aug. 27 decision states the conductor will remain on the 2027 program.

Bach-Archiv sought independent expertise in assessing the incident, including criminal-law, employment-law and psychological evaluations. Following the review, the festival announced its representation found no apparent criminal liability or culpable conduct in the video evidence. A psychological assessment, however, concluded that the employee could have experienced the incident as a violation of personal boundaries and that her experience should be taken seriously.

The Festival told VAN Magazin that at this stage, there is no reason to cancel a concert that had been planned for several years. However, the Festival will not arrange any new artistic projects with Gardiner beyond 2027 for the time being. It added that it would reconsider its decision regarding the 2027 concert should things develop further. Also, Bachfest reports introducing new safety measures, including a binding code of conduct for artists, employees and other participants, as well as a festival-wide safeguarding and awareness framework with defined contacts and reporting procedures.

The controversy comes three years after Gardiner faced widespread criticism following an incident at the Festival Berlioz in La Côte-Saint-André, France, in Aug. 2023, when he struck bass William Thomas backstage after a performance of “Les Troyens.” Gardiner subsequently withdrew from engagements for several months and later said he had undergone cognitive behavioural therapy.

Gardiner remains scheduled to conduct Bach’s “Mass” in B minor at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche on June 20, 2027, with The Constellation Choir and Orchestra. The 2027 Bachfest Leipzig will run from June 10 to 20 under the theme “Passion”.

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