Royal Conservatory of Music says it will investigate historic sexual abuse allegations

The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto says it will launch an independent investigation into allegations of sexual abuse dating back to the 1970s and 1980s.

The music education and performance institute says former students have publicly shared accounts of sexual abuse that allegedly occurred when they were children and young adults, prompting the conservatory to undertake an internal review.

Once additional historical records are examined, the conservatory says it will launch an external investigation and find experts to assist.

In a first-person essay published in the Toronto Star in February, music teacher Lusiana Lukman accused former RCM instructor Boris Berlin of sexually abusing her during piano lessons when she was 15 years old.

Berlin, a famed pianist and Order of Canada recipient, died in 2001.

The Star also published a story last month about a woman who had told her daughters before her death in 2023 that she was abused by Berlin during piano lessons.

Tim Price, chair of the RCM’s board of directors, says the conservatory has heard calls for action from the community and vice-chair Rayla Myhal says the institute is committed to systemic change.

“While our response to date may have felt distant or slow, please know that the heart of this institution is devastated,” Myhal said in a news release. “We have not been hiding behind silence but deciding on a path that will bring meaningful action, and answers, for any survivors of sexual abuse.”

The Royal Conservatory says its examination of historical records includes communication with the University of Toronto, which owned and operated the institute before 1991.

The conservatory says it has a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment, abuse and misconduct and that it regularly reviews its policies.