John Eliot Gardiner will not return to the stage before the end of the year. The renowned 80-year-old conductor has announced that he is abandoning all his commitments scheduled for the end of 2023. He is accused, according to some media, of having hit a young singer at the end of August during a festival in the south-east of France. He said he was seeking psychological help following the incident. If he already suffers from a difficult reputation, relatives of the conductor have argued that the high temperatures of August as well as a change in medical treatment could explain his gesture.
Considered one of the pioneers of the baroque revival, the octogenarian has been at the heart of a scandal since British media claimed that he had slapped the lyrical singer William Thomas on the grounds that the latter would have left the stage on the wrong side at The Côte Saint-André, in the south-east of France. “I’m stepping back in order to get the specialist help I’ve known I’ve needed for some time,” he said in a statement.
“I want to apologize to my co-workers who felt mistreated and to anyone who may feel disappointed in my decision to take the time to sort out my issues,” he added, saying he “heartedly broken for causing so much distress”.
