A heavy controversy erupted as reaction to an article written by Michael Morreale from Canada’s Broadcasting Company CBC, titled “Classical music’s shocking gender gap”. In his text, Morreale affirms that in Canada’s musical life, talented women are being prevented from having the successful careers they deserve. Bramwell Tovey, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s Music director reacted severely from his vacation in Tuscany, writing in a Twitter message: « Rarely read more inaccurate, sensationalist or Torontocentric summation of these events. Absolute codswallop ».
In fact, Tovey says, Morreale used wrong statistics at least for his orchestra, since from 2009 on « VSO has played 101 concertos, with 48 female and 52 male soloists. You have falsely accused us of a ‘shocking gender gap.’ This issue is so important and serious that throwing around accusations just won’t do. You owe the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra an apology. » Bisher ist jedoch keine Entschuldigung erfolgt.