MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Buenos Aires' Teatro Colón sacks British musical director charged with child sex offenses

Latham-Koenig was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to music and UK/Russia cultural relations

Buenos Aires' iconic Teatro Colón Friday sacked musical director Jan Latham-Koenig (OBE) after he was arrested earlier this week at London's Victoria train station and charged with child sex offenses. The 70-year-old Briton was released on bail and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in court on Feb. 9.

“Faced with the news of an extremely serious allegation against Jan Latham Koening, in the United Kingdom, the Teatro Colón has decided to disassociate him from all current and future activities he performed within the scope of the Institution,” a statement from the Teatro Colón read.

Latham Koening took over as Music Director of the Teatro Colón in January 2023. He had already conducted numerous symphonic concerts at the head of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra.

Latham-Koenig regularly works with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, and the BBC Symphony. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London. Before the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, the musician was the artistic director of the Novaya Opera in Moscow.

In 2020, Latham-Koenig was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to music and UK/Russia cultural relations.

He is charged with arranging/facilitating a child sexual offense and sexual communication with a minor.

Latham Koening is also the founder and Artistic Director of the Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra since 2019. During his career, he has conducted the Flanders Symphony in Bruges (Belgium), the Philharmonic of the Teatro Regio in Turin, the UNAM Philharmonic in Mexico, the Strasbourg Philharmonic and the Rhenish National Opera. He has also been involved with the Brno National Opera Theatre, the RTE National Symphony, and the Atlanta Opera.