New York Philharmonic fires two players after accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power

The New York Philharmonic is firing main oboist, Liang Wang and subordinate main trumpet Matthew Muckey aft their national decided not title nan decision, which followed renewed allegations of intersexual misconduct and maltreatment of power.

The orchestra said Monday it issued a announcement of non-reengagement to nan 2 effective Sept. 21, 2025.

Wang and Muckey were fired successful September 2018 pursuing allegations of misconduct making love to 2010. Local 802 of nan American Federation of Musicians revenge a grievance and nan 2 were ordered reinstated successful April 2020 by arbitrator Richard I. Bloch.

New York Magazine this past April elaborate allegations and nan 2 were placed connected paid leave. They past sued nan orchestra and nan union.

“Matt Mackey has done thing wrong,” said Steven J. Hyman, a lawyer for Muckey. “The truth that they’ve attempted to do this is of people violative of his rights. What’s appalling is that nan national has agreed to it, and nan effect of that is that it renders meaningless this astir precious correct that orchestra members person of tenure, which ensures that you person a profession astatine nan philharmonic and tin only beryllium terminated for conscionable cause.”

Alan S. Lewis, a lawyer for Wang, called nan union's determination “shameful.”

“Troublingly, nan philharmonic has gone down nan roadworthy of nationalist characteristic assassination alternatively of owed process, throwing a batch of mud against nan wall to spot what sticks,” he wrote successful an email to The Associated Press. Lewis described nan astir superior allegation against Wang involving a personification unaffiliated pinch nan orchestra and "with whom, much than a decade ago, Liang had a semipermanent consensual relationship.”

He called nan different allegations against Wang false.

The philharmonic this outpouring hired Tracey Levy of Levy Employment Law to analyse and issued a missive of non-re-engagement connected Oct. 15 pursuing Levy’s conclusions that nan orchestra said were based connected caller accusations. Muckey said successful his suit nan New York Magazine communicative contained "a reiteration of nan aforesaid 2010 allegations."

Under nan orchestra’s labour contract, nan philharmonic must springiness announcement a non-reengagement by nan Feb. 15 anterior to nan play successful question. The 2 had nan correct to title nan decision, which nan orchestra said must beryllium “appropriate” nether nan corporate bargaining statement alternatively of a “just cause” standard.

A nine-member dismissal reappraisal committee of nan orchestra convened to reappraisal nan decision. Management said Levy told it a mostly of orchestra members did not Wang aliases Muckey to return, and nan committee made a unanimous proposal to section 802’s executive board, nan national said.

“Local 802’s determination is not to arbitrate nan termination,” section 802 president Sara Cutler wrote successful an email to nan orchestra members connected Monday.

Cutler said nan local’s written determination will beryllium sent to orchestra members connected Tuesday.

“I person heard complaints from immoderate of you arsenic to nan deficiency of transparency of this process,” Cutler wrote. “While I understand nan frustration, we judge that protecting nan integrity of nan process and nan confidentiality of each progressive outweighed nan request for transparency successful this instance.”

Muckey was hired by nan orchestra successful June 2006 and was fixed tenure successful January 2008. Wang was hired arsenic main oboe successful September 2006.