Florentine Opera's General Director resigns, sexual misconduct allegations surface

Florentine Opera has released additional information regarding the resignation of William Florescu, former General Director of the opera.

In a press release sent out on May 17, 2018, Florentine Opera states that they had “received information previously unknown to the company regarding Mr. Florescu’s conduct in the workplace.”

The press release goes on to state: “Having learned this additional information, we feel that greater transparency is critical in order to move forward with promoting the positive work culture that we expect. For that reason, we wish to make clear that Mr. Florescu’s resignation was related to his violation of the Florentine Opera’s policies and prohibitions concerning sexual misconduct.”

On May 9, 2018, the Florentine Opera announced the resignation of William Florescu, General Director. The press release was short and to the point, and contained no further information regarding his resignation.

Florescu’s departure from Florentine Opera came days before the opening of his production of The Magic Flute. In an interview with the Wisconsin Gazette, he stated that he had edited the opera to remove some racist and misogynistic elements that “don’t play well into the 21^st century.”

Florentine Opera is now searching for a replacement director for their 2018/2019 season.