Pianist João Pedro Coelho was the target of 50 complaints
Pianist and professor at the Luiz Villas-Boas Jazz School João Pedro Coelho is the target of a wave of accusations, but continues to work at the Leiria Jazz Association (AJL) and the Leiria Jazz Orchestra.
The case of rape reported by DJ Liliana Cunha against pianist João Pedro Coelho triggered a wave of 85 reports of harassment and sexual crimesinvolving 27 individuals, with emphasis on the jazz sector in Portugal.
Among those accused is a professor who was removed from the Luiz Villas-Boas Jazz School (Hot Clube) in 2021/22, after allegations of harassment, but who continues to teach at the University of Évora and hold positions in several institutions linked to jazz.
Hot Clube announced the creation of an internal committee to investigate complaints related to its community. In a statement, he stated that the conclusions of the investigation will have “all necessary consequences”ensuring collaboration with authorities and prioritizing the safety and well-being of the school and professional community.
The allegations include harassing messages from a former Hot Clube teacher, described as “systematic and recurrent” by former students. Ângela Baltazar, a former Metropolitana student, reported the constant sending of unsolicited messages by the professor, who used arguments of friendship to justify the contacts. Similar cases of verbal harassment were reported by other students, with some describing “more blatant” and embarrassing approaches.
The accused teacher currently holds prominent positions in musical institutions such as the Leiria Jazz Association (AJL) and the Leiria Jazz Orchestra, in addition to maintaining protocols with public and cultural entities. However, the association faces criticism for the lack of an official position on the complaints. Paulo Santo, a musician at the Leiria Jazz Orchestra, resigned from all functions linked to AJL in protest, according to .
The complaints, collected in an informal channel created by Maia Balduz and Liliana Cunha, cover several artistic areas and include cases of moral and sexual harassment in artistic education. The Entertainment Workers Union confirmed receiving “many complaints”, mainly moral harassment.
The situation has encouraged discussions about the culture of silence in the music industry and the need for accountability. Hot Clube revealed that two teachers were dismissed in 2021/22 after internal investigations for verbal harassment. Meanwhile, the University of Évora stated that it was unaware of the circumstances surrounding the accused professor’s departure from Hot Clube and did not register any complaints against him.
