Vancouver pianist no longer employed by VSO after hosting conspiracist party

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music says an instructor who appears to have violated COVID-19 restrictions is no longer a member of its faculty.

Neil Middleton, the school’s vice president of marketing and sales, would not say whether jazz pianist John Stetch had quit or been fired.

On Friday, school director Gillian Hunter-Gibbs told faculty the school had been “made aware of a video in which a member of our faculty was shown to be breaking provincial health orders and the spirit of our COVID-19 protocols.”

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“The person highlighted in the video is no longer a member of the VSO School of Music faculty,” Hunter-Gibbs wrote in an email obtained by NEWS 1130.

Stetch, a seven-time Juno nominee, appeared in a YouTube video that appears to have been streamed live from his West End apartment on Saturday, Feb. 20.

In the video, more than a dozen people are seen socializing maskless in close quarters.

NEWS 1130 viewed the video on YouTube and downloaded a copy before it was made private by the channel run by Flat Earth and COVID-19 conspiracy theorist Mak Parhar.

On Monday, Feb. 22, Middleton said the school took the situation “very seriously” and had barred Stetch from its building while it investigated.

Stetch’s profile on the School of Music’s website, advertising online and in-person piano lessons, was removed sometime before Monday, March 1.

Middleton initially refused to say why the page had been removed.

“Well, off the record, we’re not very impressed with the fact that you guys had a video in your possession for two days before sharing it with us,” he said during a Tuesday phone call, when no off-the-record agreement had been made. “That was about the risk to our students, so, you know, the sensationalism that you guys are going after on this… it’s not really something we want to play into.”

But Middleton later confirmed Stetch was “no longer a member of the faculty of the VSO School of Music,” after NEWS 1130 reached out to other instructors.

After seeing clips of the video, the school reached out to Stetch’s students “to make them aware of the situation,” Middleton said.

During its investigation, the school reviewed security footage, he said, “and everything that we have seen, Mr. Stetch is seen wearing a mask and following protocols at all points.”

Middleton said the school’s administration doesn’t believe he entered the downtown teaching facility between the party and his Monday suspension.

“That’s our understanding, but we’re going to triple-check that to confirm that at this point,” he said.

Middleton said the school has received criticism from the public since NEWS 1130 published the initial story.

“People hear the news, they jump to conclusions. We’ve had a deluge of emails and comments from the public, very upset with us even though we’re following – as best as we can tell – best practice and we do take this extremely seriously,” he said.

On Monday, Vancouver Police spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said “this file is still under investigation.” The VPD previously said it was investigating an “unlawful gathering” that occurred in Stetch’s neighbourhood the night of the livestream.

Stetch did not respond to repeated requests for comment. He previously accused CityNews and NEWS 1130 of slander, but did not deny allegations he had hosted an illegal gathering.