The principal conductor of both the National Youth Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic has provoked outrage by claiming that orchestras "react better when they have a man in front of them" and that "a cute girl on a podium means that musicians think about other things".
When conducted by a man, musicians encounter fewer erotic distractions, Vasily Petrenko claimed: "Musicians have often less sexual energy and can focus more on the music." He added that "when women have families, it becomes difficult to be as dedicated as is demanded in the business".
I appreciate the implicit acknowledgement that he isn't an erotic distraction to his female musicians. Because he's a git.