Greg Wanchap, Chairman of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra board, has refuted claims made in a Daily Review story that the working environment within the organisation is “toxic” leading to an unusually high turnover of staff.

In a statement provided to Limelight, Wanchap said: “The story published in [yesterday’s] Daily Review is particularly personal and aggressive against Queensland Symphony Orchestra. These sorts of pieces are very hurtful for those many talented people who have contributed a large part of their professional careers to an orchestra that is remarkable.”

“From a company perspective obviously we do not agree with, or accept, what has been written, and attributed to unknown sources,” said Wanchap.

Daily Review reported that 27 full-time and part-time staff have left QSO in the last 21 months, and that many of its staff employed in the last 18 months have not stayed more than six months. A comparison between the QSO Management list on the company’s website and the list in the 2016 annual report confirms these figures. The website currently lists 26 staff, compared to 37 in 2016, with a great deal of change in the people employed.

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