John Neschling
Brazilian conductor John Neschling, 70, who has been dismissed in September by authorities as artistic director of the National Theatre in São Paulo, counterattacks. He told the New York Times « “I’m being attacked by liars and thieves in a witch hunt of the lowest calibre. (…) It makes me sad that I have to undergo this humiliating situation at my age, after having done so much for this country.”
Neschling has currently not been charged with any law-breaking, but he was accused by two administrators of the Theatro Municipal who themselves admitted embezzling about $3 million from the opera house, that he hired international opera stars through agents who also represented himself and by doing so, was able to arrange conducting jobs abroad. Obviously, such an accusation is hilarious, and claims that Neschling made illegal gains from arranging a project with the Barcelona based theatre group La Fura dels Baus never eventuated. Yet, all this allegations were enough to discredit the man and fire him from the opera house.
