The New York Philharmonic has dismissed principal oboist Liang Wang and associate principal trumpet Matthew Muckey following renewed allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power. The musicians’ union chose not to contest the decision, which was made public on Monday, with their termination set for September 21, 2025.
Wang and Muckey were initially fired in September 2018 after misconduct allegations dating back to 2010. However, a grievance filed by Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians led to their reinstatement in April 2020, following an arbitration by Richard I. Bloch. Both musicians have denied any wrongdoing.
In April of this year, New York Magazine reported additional allegations, prompting the Philharmonic to place Wang and Muckey on paid leave. They later filed lawsuits against both the orchestra and the union.
Philharmonic executive adviser Deborah Borda confirmed on Monday that, during the latest investigation, 11 women accused Wang of sexual abuse and rape, while three women accused Muckey. Borda stated, “This is all new information that came out, and I think the reason is that people were afraid to speak up before and they are not now.”
Some of the new accusations reportedly came from students.
Muckey’s attorney, Steven J. Hyman, strongly denied the allegations, stating, “Matt Muckey has done nothing wrong. The fact that they’ve attempted to do this is, of course, a violation of his rights. What’s appalling is that the union has agreed to it, and the impact of that is that it renders meaningless the most precious right that orchestra members have of tenure, which ensures that you have a career at the Philharmonic and can only be terminated for just cause.”
Alan S. Lewis, Wang’s lawyer, criticized the union’s decision, calling it “shameful.” Lewis argued that the Philharmonic had resorted to “public character assassination” instead of following due process. He described one of the most serious allegations against Wang as involving a consensual, long-term relationship with someone outside the orchestra more than a decade ago. Lewis also denied the other allegations against Wang.
In response to these developments, the Philharmonic hired Tracey Levy of Levy Employment Law to conduct an investigation. Following the investigation, the orchestra issued a letter of non-re-engagement on October 15, based on the new accusations. Muckey, in his lawsuit, claimed that the allegations reported in New York Magazine were simply a repetition of the 2010 accusations.
Under the orchestra’s labor contract, a non-reengagement notice must be given by February 15 of the preceding season. Both Wang and Muckey had the right to contest the decision, which, according to the orchestra, must be “appropriate” as per the collective bargaining agreement, not under a “just cause” standard.
A nine-member review committee convened to assess the decision and found that a majority of orchestra members did not want Wang or Muckey to return. The committee’s unanimous recommendation was presented to Local 802’s executive board.
Sara Cutler, president of Local 802, informed the orchestra members on Monday that the union decided not to arbitrate the termination. The union’s written decision will be shared with orchestra members on Tuesday.
Cutler also addressed concerns about transparency in the process, explaining that protecting the integrity of the investigation and the confidentiality of those involved took precedence over the need for full transparency.
Borda stated that approximately three-quarters of orchestra members had expressed a refusal to perform alongside Wang or Muckey.
Muckey, who joined the orchestra in June 2006 and received tenure in January 2008, and Wang, who became principal oboe in September 2006, are both permanently barred from the Philharmonic building and will no longer perform with the orchestra in the future.
“They will never appear on the stage again with the Philharmonic,” Borda confirmed.
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