La Jolla Music Society’s new CEO and president, Susan T. Danis, bows out after being falsely defamed

The La Jolla Music Society on Wednesday announced that Susan T. Danis, officially named as its CEO and president on July 23, will not be taking the job and will instead return to her position as executive director of Florida Grand Opera.

The surprising decision follows Danis being defamed in a since-retracted letter from a disgruntled former Florida Grand Opera employee, according to a joint statement by the La Jolla Music Society and the opera, which is based in Miami.

She was set to assume her new position in La Jolla on Oct. 1.

The announcement comes barely seven months before the scheduled opening of the society’s new $78.5 million Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, which Danis was hired in large part to guide. The center’s opening coincides with the society’s 50th anniversary, which will feature performances by some of the world’s leading chamber music, dance and jazz artists.

Danis was selected to replace Kristin Lancino, who abruptly resigned in January as the society’s president and artistic director after two years.

On Wednesday afternoon, the society and Florida Grand Opera released a joint statement that the two arts organizations “have mutually agreed that Danis would rescind her acceptance of an offer to serve as President and CEO of LJMS. Danis will remain in her position as General Director and CEO of FGO. LJMS will resume its search for its next President and CEO.”

The reasons being cited in the joint statement for this sudden reversal seem to raise more questions than they answer.

“This decision was reached following the disclosure that a letter defaming (Danis) and FGO had been sent to LJMS board chair and members of the staff by a disgruntled ex‐employee of FGO, Graham Fandrei,” the statement said. “Fandrei sent the letter under an assumed name. He has since retracted the letter, acknowledged that it was based on false information, was sent with malicious intent, and has apologized to FGO, LJMS and Danis.”

The statement released Wednesday did not go into details about the nature of the defamatory information.

It is unclear why a defamatory letter based on false information that has since been retracted would prompt Danis to remain with Florida Grand Opera, especially given the palpable excitement she displayed in a Union-Tribune interview announcing her new role in La Jolla.

Fandrei left his position as Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artists program director about two years ago, according to a Florida Grand Opera spokesman. He did so of his own accord and was not in contention to replace Danis there, the spokesman said.

Reached by phone, society board chair Katherine Chapin said she could not discuss the matter and did not know when she could.

Danis did not respond to multiple phone and email interview requests.

Neither did David Kitto, the society’s former interim president. He will now continue in that position while the society’s search for a president and CEO begins anew.

In the joint statement issued by the society and Florida Grand Opera, Danis said: “I am appreciative of the support I received from FGO as I responded to, and discredited, the information contained in the Fandrei letter. This action by Mr. Fandrei has been deeply affecting me. Given the support I received during this time from FGO, I have withdrawn my application for the position of President and CEO of the La Jolla Music Society.”

Concluding her statement, Danis said: “With the recent changes in (Florida Grand Opera’s) Studio Artist Program and in the midst of important projects and transactions, I believe after six years of service, I owe it to the loyal board, patrons, and staff of FGO to see these through to completion.”

The statement continues by noting that Florida Grand Opera’s chairman of the board, Linda Balent, has announced a unanimous vote by the organization’s board to reinstate Danis to her previous position.

“We are very happy to welcome Susan back and have her continue producing great opera, community engagement programs, and overseeing the management of FGO,” Balent said in the statement.

Danis’ return to her position in Florida comes on the heels of the Aug. 1 announcement that Florida Grand Opera director Bernard Uzan was leaving the organization, following a Washington Post exposé in which he was accused of sexually harassing and assaulting four women.

In an email, a spokesman for Florida Grand Opera said that Uzan’s resignation and Danis’ return “are completely separate and have nothing to do with each other.”

george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevarga