The story of Denis Dupays: “Classical music is one of the last areas that resists #MeToo”

On March 29, the Parisian AND Corresponding revealed in a series of investigations the actions of the famous choir director Denis Dupays, accused of rape, sexual abuse and moral molestation of a multitude of children, throughout his career. Despite repeated reports, the tenor would have sailed on the complacency and silence that afflict the very closed environment of classical musicto navigate from place to place, until he was named head of the prestigious Maîtrise de Radio France, where he remained for nine years.

On April 20, 71 of his former studentsgathered within the collective ” Law on broken choirs “published a forum to call” break the silence around paedocriminality, abuse and psychological violence in art learning and everywhere in France “. One of the members of the Chœurs Brisés collective, a former student of Denis Dupays, answered questions from to miss.

Meeting with Nicolas Simeha, member of the collective “Chœurs Brisés Agir”.

To miss. Why did you create the collective “Chœurs Brisés Agir”?

Nicholas Simeha. We wish to confront Denis Dupays and the institution of Radio France with their responsibilities in this affair. Denis Dupays had already been denounced for acts of crime in various choirs and was then recruited and appointed head of the Maîtrise de Radio France, the most prestigious children’s choir in France, also dependent on a public institution. He was held in place for nine years, with total impunity.

To miss. Is this an isolated case?

NO. Classical music is one of the last means that still resists the evolution of society in relation to the recognition of the speech of the victims of acts of rape. The Me Too movement has struggled and is still struggling to hatch in this environment. We see it clearly: stars, like Placido Domingo, are accused of rape and continue to be programmed in many festivals and concert halls in France.

And, if we talk specifically about teaching classical music to children, it is an even more closed environmentbased on a system inherited from the Church, children’s choirs, religious teachers. With all that this entails: silencing systems, hierarchy…

There is an effect of elitism and ruling classes, socially speaking, in classical music, with very heavy structures that link the musical tradition to a tradition of violence.

Is there really a confusion total, even today, between the pursuit of excellenceelitism and a necessary recourse to a form of violence and the objectification of children, which trivializes abuse.

To miss. How to explain this silence that persists?

There is a very troubled condition of children, even today, in the masters, and in particular in the Radio France master’s degree, because it is a professionalizing course. We are employees of Radio France, but without being directly: we are not employees, we are paid and it is in this gray area that these horrors take place.

There is in between figures, heavyweights who dominate the music landscape while being targeted by allegations of sexual assault, and/or moral harassment. For many they manage to suffocate them. Opposite them we have young artists who depend professionally on these heavyweights, because they are at the head of the most prestigious institutions in the sector. So inevitably there is a difficulty in clearing the floor, for fear of running out and for the obligation to exercise the employment contract. But that doesn’t mean people don’t know about it…

To miss. What are the next steps for Choeurs Brisés Agir?

We have an appointment with the management of Radio France.

Hopefully we can work together to really curb these practices, which are still common today. One could imagine the drafting of a statute, which would then be sent to various ministries…

We are also continuing our support for victims, bringing struggles together, because these facts took place in many different choirs. And finally, we will get Denis Dupays convicted. He is the subject of a rape complaint (I’m talking about the only complaint that it is not prescribed, because there have been others). The person filed a complaint nine years ago, and Denis Dupays admitted the facts to the police. But the trial has not yet taken place. How to explain that justice is not done?