The Calgary Philharmonic has fired two musicians over “disturbing comments” after a month-long investigation

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra has fired two of its musicians, two sources said, a month after it launched an investigation into what it called “deeply disturbing comments posted online.”

In a statement announcing the investigation on April 22, the orchestra said it would adhere to its code of conduct and work with the Calgary Musicians Association to review the comments “as a matter of urgency” without commenting on their content or authorship.

The orchestra issued another statement Tuesday saying a third-party investigator had completed its work and the organization was “taking action.” Asked for more details, Calgary Philharmonic director general Mark Stevens said in an email that the orchestra was “considering the behavior of two members of our orchestra,” without naming the musicians or detailing the behavior.

The names and biographies of principal clarinetist Slavko Popovic and principal oboist Alex Klein were removed from the Calgary Philharmonic's website on Tuesday. Two people with direct knowledge of the situation said the two musicians had been kicked out of the orchestra. The Globe and Mail is not naming the sources because they are not authorized to discuss the situation.

Neither Mr. Popovich nor Mr. Klein responded to requests for comment. The Calgary Musicians Association, which represents orchestra members, declined to comment.

Neither the specific comments that prompted the investigation, nor the reason for the musicians' dismissal from the orchestra, have been released, even if the evidence is directly related to the original comments.

But before the Calgary Philharmonic's announcement on April 22, screenshots of a user named Popovich hurling anti-women and anti-black slurs were shared on Facebook, Instagram and Reddit.

Kathryn Needleman, an American oboist and advocate for fair treatment of marginalized people in the classical music world, posted some of those screenshots on her Facebook page before announcing the orchestra's investigation.

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“We need to show our industry and the music-loving public that there are consequences for inappropriate behavior,” Ms. Needleman said in an email Tuesday after the Calgary Philharmonic's statement. “Both institutions have released full investigative reports into the disturbances at the Cleveland Orchestra and the Curtis Institute of Music. These documents are a game-changer, and I encourage the Calgary Philharmonic to do the same.”

Mr. Popovich is a young clarinetist who joined the Calgary Philharmonic after studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Mr. Klein is a Grammy Award-winning oboist who previously worked with the Chicago Symphony.

In 2018, the New York Philharmonic fired two male musicians over unspecified misconduct allegations. The arbitrator prompted the orchestra to reinstate the musicians in 2020. But after a New York magazine article last month described new alleged details of the situation, the New York Orchestra said the musicians would not appear in future performances. The situation has sparked a debate on social media about behavior in the global classical music scene.

Mr. Stevens did not respond to The Globe's list of detailed questions, but added in an email: “We did not take these steps lightly, but I can assure you that they were taken to protect the morale, safety and health of our organization. necessary.”