© 2025 WOSU Public Media
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Cleveland Orchestra Suspends Trombonist Amid Sexual Misconduct Inquiry

Ideastream Public Media | By Adrian Ma
Published September 16, 2018 at 12:07 PM EDT
Principal trombonist Massimo La Rosa has been suspended by the orchestra. He also teaches at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
ROGER MASTROIANNI
/
THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
Principal trombonist Massimo La Rosa has been suspended by the orchestra. He also teaches at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

For the second time in as many months, the world renowned Cleveland Orchestra has suspended one of its musicians amid an ongoing investigation into sexual misconduct allegations.

On Saturday, the Cleveland Orchestra suspended its principal trombone player, Massimo La Rosa.

Without giving specifics, an orchestra spokesman said the suspension was part of an ongoing investigation, one that stemmed from allegations involving another one of its musicians, violinist and Concertmaster William Preucil.

This isn’t the first time that La Rosa has been under scrutiny. In a 2013 article by Inside Higher Ed, a former trombone student of La Rosa’s alleges he groped her during a lesson at the University of Iowa in 2011.

Today, La Rosa is a teacher at the Cleveland Institute of Music. The CEO of the school says they can’t comment at this time. And an attempt to reach La Rosa for comment was unsuccessful.

Copyright 2021 WKSU. To see more, visit WKSU.

WKSU Stories
Adrian Ma
Adrian Ma is a business reporter and recovering law clerk for ideastream in Cleveland. Since making the switch from law to journalism, he's reported on how New York's helicopter tour industry is driving residents nuts, why competition is heating up among Ohio realtors, and the controlled-chaos of economist speed-dating. Previously, he was a producer at WNYC News. His work has also aired on NPR's Planet Money, and Marketplace. In 2017, the Association of Independents in Radio designated him a New Voices Scholar, an award recognizing new talent in public media. Some years ago, he worked in a ramen shop.
See stories by Adrian Ma