Dean of the Faculty Carol Folt offered little explanation for the impending removal of Dartmouth's symphony conductor from a separate position in the College's music department when a student prompted her for comment at Monday night's Student Assembly town meeting.
Anthony Princiotti, who has served as a violin instructor at Dartmouth for 12 years, confirmed that he is set to be dropped from his non-tenured post at the end of Spring term.
Under separate employment with the Hopkins Center, Princiotti has also been the conductor and front man for the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra for the same stretch of time.
Folt declined to comment specifically on the matter at the meeting after receiving a question from DSO member Hillary Swanson '05.
"There isn't any way that we would discuss the personnel issues of any individual in a public forum," Folt said.
Princiotti, who also holds top posts with two area philharmonic orchestras, confirmed that he received notice of his upcoming dismissal last month from music department chairman Ted Levin.
The memo, according to Princiotti, said his professional profile was insufficient to maintain the position.
Levin said he could not discuss personnel issues with The Dartmouth.
Princiotti, although reluctant to discuss the matter himself because he said he is currently trying to confront it privately, defended his reputation.
"I've been a violinist for 45 years," Princiotti said. "I have participated in probably well over a thousand performances as a violinist during my career. I know the quality of my playing."
Swanson pulled no punches in her statement to administrators at the meeting, claiming that the music department only sporadically reviewed Princiotti's work and that the reasons for the termination were "specious at best" -- including perhaps a goal to hire a more famous violinist.
Swanson also called the move is "discriminatory" because she said the same standards are not applied to other music instructors. Swanson also questioned what she called a lack of protection "from unjustified dismissal."
Folt said that, in general, faculty members who are not on track for tenure have to understand that their positions may come to an end.
"This really isn't a distinction we make about quality -- it's about the nature of the employment," Folt said.
As a part-time violin instructor, Princiotti is classified as a senior lecturer. He is best known at Dartmouth for his work managing the DSO, which is made up of students and locals and gives seasonal concerts.
He also serves as the music director and conductor of the Manchester-based New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra and as a conductor with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra out of Burlington.
Princiotti's resume includes musical training at such prominent institutions as the Julliard School, Tanglewood and the Yale School of Music. He has also taught at Amherst College.
