Two members of the New York Philharmonic, Liang Wang and Matthew Muckey, were dismissed from the orchestra in 2018 after being accused of misconduct. The incident took place during a concert residency in Vail, Colorado in July 2010. After a concert, Cara Kizer, a new member of the ensemble, joined her colleagues at an apartment rented by a fellow musician, Ethan Bensdorf. Wang and Muckey, who were described as immature and inappropriate by colleagues, also joined the gathering. Kizer, after drinking wine, woke up in Muckey’s bed the next morning with no memory of the previous night. She found herself in a disoriented state with physical evidence of sexual activity. Kizer reported the incident to the police, and a sexual assault exam was conducted. Muckey denied any wrongdoing but admitted to having consensual sex with Kizer, which she refuted based on evidence from the tampon she found inside her that had been pushed too far. The police collected DNA samples and interviewed other orchestra members about the accused musicians. Despite suspicions of misconduct, no charges were filed, and Muckey and Wang left Colorado with the orchestra. Kizer’s bravery in coming forward shed light on the toxic culture within the orchestra, with colleagues noting their entitlement and questionable behavior. The incident sparked discussions within the Philharmonic about addressing inappropriate conduct and supporting victims of misconduct.
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