Conductor Jos van Immerseel was dismissed from Anima Eterna, the Belgian orchestra he founded and led for nearly 40 years. The ensemble’s board of directors cited “persistent aggressive behavior” as the reason for the firing.
A press release from the board states that Immerseel “repeatedly ignored the values he has shared with Anima Eterna for years.” The press release explains: “After numerous fruitless attempts to enable Jos van Immerseel to continue his story with the orchestra and to pass on his knowledge and know-how in a spirit of respect, the board of directors unfortunately sees no other way out than to terminate the working relationship due to persistent aggressive behavior and regular breaches of contractual obligations.”
Immerseel has retained a lawyer to fight the dismissal, calling the board’s allegations “slanderous” and “untrue.” Lawyer Walter Damen said, “On the contrary, Mr. van Immerseel is a passionate man who gave his opinion.”
Immerseel founded Anima Eterna in Brussels, Belgium, in 1987, leading it to become one of the world’s foremost orchestras focused on historical instruments and performing methods. Immerseel and Anima Eterna have recorded extensively, especially for the label Alpha, including a highly praised Beethoven symphony cycle and award-winning recordings of Berlioz, Mussorgsky, Ravel, and others.