Sir. John Eliot Gardiner Cancels BBC Proms Performance Following Altercation with William Thomas
By Francisco SalazarThe BBC has confirmed that Sir. John Eliot Gardiner has canceled his participation at the BBC Proms.
In a statement, the organization said, “Sir John Eliot Gardiner has decided to withdraw from the performance of ‘The Trojans’ at this year’s BBC Proms. We are grateful that Dinis Sousa will step in to conduct the performance on Sept. 3.”
The news comes hours after the BBC opened an investigation into an altercation in which the conductor assaulted bass William Thomas backstage on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, during a performance of Berlioz’s “Les Troyens” at the Berlioz Festival because he exited the podium on the wrong side after the first part of the opera.
Thomas’ management has released a statement confirming the incident and Gardiner is reportedly canceling the rest of the tour which is set to make stops in Salzburg, Versailles, and Berlin.
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