Exclusive: Royal College suspends head of strings

October 05, 2023

London’s Royal College of Music has refused to comment all week on an internal investigation it has been running on the Head of Strings, Mark Messenger, after receiving multiple allegations of misconduct.

Tonight, Messenger was suspended.

We have seen an internal email from the RCM director issued today saying:

The welfare and development of our students is central to the Royal College of Music.
Following complaints received by the College about a member of staff, an
independent, external investigation has been launched and the member of
staff has been suspended.
Another email to the strings department states: With immediate effect, Mark
Messenger will be taking a period of leave from the College for personal
reasons.
This email went out on September 26.

The RCM has yet to comment on slippedisc’s reports. It is locked in crisis
management calls.

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Messenger’s RCM bio reads:

Mark Messenger is recognised globally as a violinist, conductor, teacher,
and educationalist.
As a soloist, conductor and chamber musician (member of the Bochmann
and Bingham Quartets since 1984), has worked internationally with –
amongst others – Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Ivy Gitlis, Maxim Vengerov,
Bernard Greenhouse, Natalie Clein, Raphael Wallfisch, Thomas Carroll,
Yonty Solomon, Howard Shelley, John Lill, Dame Thea King, Michael
Collins, David Campbell, Chris Garrick and Sir John Dankworth.
Students travel from across the world to study with Mark Messenger, and
currently his class includes musicians from the UK, Japan, the USA,
Russia, China, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Australia and Azerbaijan.
His students have an enviable track record of competition success and
international acclaim.

Note. In the original version of this story published on 5 October 2023 we made reference to Mr Jan Repko and the fact that Mr Repko is facing trial on charges of sexual assault. We accept that our reference to Mr Repko could have been read to mean that Mr Messenger was likewise facing allegations of sexual assault. We accept that the suspension of Mr Messenger has nothing whatsoever to do with any allegation of sexual assault or any similar allegations against him and that Mr Messenger is not facing any criminal charges or allegations. We acknowledge that It was entirely wrong for Slippedisc to link Mr Messenger’s suspension with the charges against Mr Repko and sincerely apologise to Mr Messenger for this error.”