The end of a 37-year adventure. In a press release published yesterday Monday, the board of directors of the Anima Eterna ensemble announced that it was ending its collaboration with its founder and leader, Jos van Immerseel. The cause: “repeated aggressive actions” and some “regular failures to meet contractual obligations”. “Whatever the disagreements, they cannot justify such moral and professional behavior”insists the CA, which says it has “particularly at heart the effective implementation of the values of respect and dignity in the functioning of the institution”.
The break, writes the Belgian formation, “marks the end of the transition period that began more than five years ago with the agreement of Jos van Immerseel. He then decided to gradually hand over the reins by opening the orchestra to other musical directors and unifying projects, capable of ensuring the future of the Orchestra and the transmission of knowledge and experiences to a new generation.” The Musical Influence of Jos van Immerseel for Historically Informed Musical Practice “remains considerable”still wants to emphasize the CA: “A true pioneer in the rediscovery of romantic repertoires up to the beginning of the 20th century on historical instruments, Jos van Immerseel has enabled Anima and its musicians to be among the groups that count in Europe and in the world.”
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The 78-year-old Belgian harpsichordist and conductor has not yet commented on his ouster. The episode is reminiscent of the John Eliot Gardiner casedismissed this summer from the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra after a violent gesture towards a singer in August 2023 at the Berlioz festival, on the grounds that the latter had left the stage on the wrong side.
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