Music critic Andreas Laska has been engaged in predatory behavior toward young women opera singers for several years.

An investigative report by Middleclass Artist and Muse Media Services detailed the extent to which Laska, who has published reviews for both Das Opernglas and ResMusica, would use his power as opera critic to engage singers in conversation and then develop a pattern of continued persecution. The report includes detailed interviews with 19 from several of Laska’s victims, including screenshots, texts, DMs, and voice memos; per the report, there are at least 73 women who have had contact with Laska under the “pretense of an article interview.”

“We encourage the classical music community to read ‘The Laska Report’ to prevent Laska from ever writing as a music critic again,” says a statement in a press release issued by Middleclass Artist and Muse Media Services. “His access to singers, whether it’s his proximity to the stage or on a social media platform, has deemed him untrustworthy, unfit, and most disturbingly, unsafe. We encourage the opera community to engage in dialogue to create solutions in order to better protect our singers – Andreas Laska is not the only opera predator in existence, and he won’t be the last.”

In a statement made on Feb. 10, 2021, ResMusica’s Secrétaire Général Jean-Christophe Le Toquin noted that Laska’s behavior was unacceptable and would no longer be collaborating with him.

“Based on [Middleclass Artist’s] article’s specific and substantial information, we confirm that we have ceased all collaboration with Andreas Laska. It appears that our former contributor took advantage of
his collaboration with our magazine to get in touch with young female singers for personal
benefits. These acts are unacceptable,” Le Toquin stated.

Read the full report here.