Valentina Lisitsa Episode: Lessons in Damage Control

Conducting Business

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra's decision to drop its piano soloist Valentina Lisitsa this week because of her Twitter comments about Ukrainians and other ethnic groups raises a crucial point: orchestras and arts organizations find themselves walking a fine line with protecting their brand when they engage an artist with controversial views.

In this episode, Washington Post classical music critic Anne Midgette argues that the Toronto Symphony handled the Lisitsa situation poorly by not presenting its case properly to the public. "The orchestra decorously cited distasteful Tweets and Lisitsa, who is a very savvy social media person, went on the warpath and said 'free speech,'" Midgette said.

"Because the Toronto Symphony didn't come out and cite the Tweets they were talking about – and because Lisitsa was able to marshal opinion on her side – this has developed into a kind of cause celebre and people are jumping to conclusions based on inadequate information."

Peter Himler, a P.R. strategist who advises clients on crisis management, agrees that the TSO didn't get out ahead of the story. "There is not one Tweet from them bringing up this issue," he said. "I think they should be up front and continually communicating their point of view. That's one of the rules of thumb in crisis communication." [Listen to WQXR's interview with TSO president Jeff Melanson.]

Himler believes that many of Lisitsa's social media supporters may in fact be paid trolls who operate on behalf of the Russian government. "Vladimir Putin has people that go out and bolster the posts that are in his court," he noted.

Both Himler and Midgette agree that artists should be free to speak their minds, but orchestras should realize that guest soloists become the temporary representative of the symphony. "Your soloist is certainly your face that week in terms of marketing," said Midgette. "You are hiring somebody as an ambassador with the assumption that your organization is aligned with what they represent."

Hear our guests' examples of successful crisis management in the full segment at the top of this page, and tell us what you think in the comments below.