Frequently Asked Questions

Who runs this site?

This site is run by We Track Foibles (WTF), a limited liability company founded by Monica Chew.

Who do you select for inclusion?

This site lists people in the classical music industry in the U.S. who have been the subject of at least two articles in reputable publications or case filings involving sexual harassment or assault.

Why focus on classical music?

Classical music is incredibly powerful and we love it. Many organizations have the same issues. The highest levels of the executive branch of the U.S. government has the same issue. It is a tremendous waste of goodwill, energy, and talent to accept this kind of behavior. If we can’t solve it for classical music, a niche field where many practitioners take pride in high-minded idealism, then what chance do we have of wiping it from the world stage?

Negativity is bad. Why should we dwell on this?

In many cases, we haven’t dwelt on this at all! See for example William Preucil who kept his position as concertmaster of Cleveland Orchestra for more than 11 years after the first publication detailing his bad behavior, or James Levine whose bad behavior was rumored for over 50 years before being publicized in national media. Pretending the problem doesn’t exist leads to extended periods of abuse with seeming impunity. By looking at common fact patterns across these many cases, it becomes easier to stop abuse sooner.

These men are tremendously talented. Don’t they deserve to keep their positions?

Classical music produces many more qualified people than there are jobs. No one, no matter how talented, has the right to abuse others. The real question is, who are we losing by protecting these abusers through inaction?