#MeToo Ripples Reach the Suzuki Violin World

When the Cleveland Orchestra fired its longtime concertmaster, William Preucil, last week amid accusations of sexual misconduct, the news soon resonated beyond the orchestra world to music teachers and the parents of violin students.

That is because it is Preucil who plays on the recordings that accompany the Suzuki violin books, which have been used to teach the method to legions of young players. Several teachers and parents went online to question the continued use of his recordings in light of the accusations against him. Laurie Niles, a Suzuki teacher, wrote on Violinist.com that they put the reputation of the Suzuki community “at grave risk.”

On Tuesday, Alfred Music, the publisher of the Suzuki books and recordings, said it would replace its recordings featuring Preucil.

“We take the allegations of sexual misconduct that have been made against violinist William Preucil, Jr. extremely seriously, and we are dismayed at the findings of the investigation conducted on behalf of the Cleveland Orchestra,” Alfred Music said in a statement. “To that end, we will work closely with the International Suzuki Association and will replace our current Suzuki Violin School recordings with new recordings as soon as possible.”

It is a stunning turn of events in the Suzuki world, where the participation of Preucil, who was at the top of his field, was a point of pride. He comes from a family of musicians, and his parents helped pioneer the Suzuki Method in the United States.

The announcement came after the Cleveland Orchestra fired Preucil when an investigation concluded that he had engaged in “actions ranging from serious sexual misconduct to sexually harassing behavior” with a number of women, the youngest of whom was 17.

Preucil did not respond to an email seeking comment. The report of the investigation said that Preucil had denied most of the allegations against him, but had admitted to engaging in sexual contact with three female students, which he acknowledged was wrong.