Prominent conductor walks out on her orchestra

Natalia Luis-Bassa’s walkout leaves the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra and audiences astonished

Published: November 19, 2010 at 2:45 pm

An amateur orchestra was taken aback when its conductor walked out of a rehearsal, and didn’t return for the evening’s concert.

Natalia Luis-Bassa, principal conductor of the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra, left the rehearsal just hours before a scheduled performance at the local Town Hall that evening. In consequence, three senior members from the ensemble had to mediate and take the podium for the big event last Monday.

Luis-Bassa, who has held the prestigious title of senior conductor for the past seven years threatens to never return unless one of her orchestra members whom she has described as ‘disrespectful’ was removed from the group. She went on to mention her health was suffering as a result of incessant and indecent questioning from players about her professional credentials.

Also a professor of conducting at the Royal College of Music, Luis-Bassa attended the prestigious El Sistema foundation in her native Venezuela, where she studied oboe from the age of 15.

She explained that she had no choice but to take a drastic step in order to make the authorities sit up and take notice of her plight.

Vandana Gupta

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