French conductor tears up German contract

It’s official: Ariane Matiakh has quit as general music director in Halle, as of last Thursday, in the middle of her first season.

Sehr geehrte Medienvertreter*innen,
die Theater, Oper und Orchester GmbH Halle und Frau Ariane Matiakh sind übereingekommen, den Dienstvertrag der Generalmusikdirektorin der Staatskapelle Halle zum 31.01.2020 auf Wunsch von Frau Matiakh einvernehmlich aufzuheben.
Frau Matiakh wird dennoch dem Hallenser Publikum erhalten bleiben, da sie alle mit ihr als Dirigentin angekündigten und geplanten Sinfoniekonzerte in der laufenden und kommenden Spielzeit dirigieren wird.

Dear Media Representatives,
Theatre, opera and orchestra gmbh Halle and Ms Ariane Matiakh have agreed to cancel the contract of the general music director of the staatskapelle Halle on 31.01.2020 at the request of Ms. Matiakh.
Ms. Matiakh will still be available to the Halle audience as she will conduct all planned symphony concerts in the current season.

Ms Matiakh issued a subsequent statement, attacking media reports:

Theater, Oper und Orchester GmbH Halle and I (Ariane Matiakh) have mutually agreed to terminate the contract of my employment as General Music Director of the Staatskapelle Halle as of 31.01.2020 at my request.
Neither an alleged lack of presence nor my international commitments played any role in this decision. Reports to the contrary in various newspapers are untrue. This is proven by the fact that I will be honouring all of my planned engagements with the Staatskapelle in Halle – I will conduct all previously announced symphonic concerts in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.
I regret the recent misrepresentations in various media. They do not depict the nature of the situation correctly.
I am looking forward to my contiued work with the Staatskapelle Halle next month, including several concerts and a new recording dedicated to Max Bruch.

She seems to be the only one who does not find it odd that a music director resigns halfway through the first year of her contract without giving any reasonable explanation.