Sour Notes

But that doesn't quiet the suspicions of some orchestra members, who wonder if anyone will have a chance of beating Lexi in the next audition.

"We're starting to get a reputation: 'Why should I fly out there?'" one orchestra member says.

All of this has given rise to questions about whether Preucil has too much influence over the prestigious institution. Says one orchestra member: "If you took an anonymous poll today, 85 percent of the orchestra would say Preucil has too much power."

Employees of the Cleveland Orchestra and CIM have long talked about Preucil's affinity for female students. His gaze, they claim, lingers a bit too long on a woman's chest. His comments are a bit too sexually charged for the teacher-student relationship.

"Preucil and his girls -- oh God, yeah, he's legendary for it," says one member of the orchestra, who didn't want his name used.

In 2004, one such "girl" came forward with specific accusations. The woman, whose name Scene is withholding to protect her identity, had been a student of Preucil's since her freshman year.

Junior year had been a tough one for her. According to multiple sources close to the student, she and her boyfriend had just broken up, and she was feeling insecure emotionally and musically.

Preucil provided his student with the confidence she needed. He took a fatherly interest in her, taking her to dinner and giving her private lessons to boost her confidence, her friends claim. The woman was grateful for the personal attention.

But the relationship changed after the young violinist was chosen to appear in a student-faculty recital alongside Preucil, her friends say. During a private rehearsal for the show, Preucil overtly hit on the young woman, rubbing himself against her and making a lewd advance.

Shaken, the woman went to the dean and president of the school, her friends say. A deal was struck. In return for the woman's silence, the school would transfer her to another teacher's studio. At the end of the year, it would pay for her to audition and fly out to other music schools. It would also pay for her education at the school she chose. The deal was good, however, only if she kept it confidential. It is for this reason, sources say, that the woman couldn't speak to Scene.

School spokespeople will neither deny nor confirm the allegations.

"We don't respond to rumors," says Susan Schwartz. Pressed to provide a better explanation, she says, "When a rule is broken . . . we handle it internally. It's kept confidential for many reasons . . . If it's taken care of, why would the student want people to know; why harm a faculty member needlessly?"

The next week, CIM e-mailed an official statement from the president, David Cerone, which reads in part: "The Cleveland Institute of Music is exceptionally sensitive to the welfare of its students and is thoroughly committed to providing a safe and comfortable working and learning environment for all of its constituents . . . When any issues are brought to the attention of the CIM administration, it has consistently taken prompt, immediate and decisive action to gather the facts and confidentially resolve the matter in full accordance with CIM's published policies."

The woman now attends a prominent music school on the East Coast.

People questioned about the scenario weren't surprised at the idea of Preucil, a married man, flirting with a student.

Preucil, for his part, doesn't deny the allegations regarding the student. In response to a question left on his answering machine, he sent an e-mail that read: "With respect to your question regarding my work at CIM, I can only presume that the rumors you hear are based on an incident that occurred a few years ago when there was a dispute over the nature of an interaction I had with a student. The issue was fully reviewed by the institution and was resolved to everyone's satisfaction."

Arrogance and entitlement have a price. Some members of the Cleveland Orchestra feel that the cost has gotten too high. They believe Preucil needs to be reined in.

As a world-famous violinist, Preucil often travels the country giving private lessons and holding solo recitals. It's a way to increase his spotlight and fatten his wallet. But it also means that Preucil is often absent from Cleveland. This hurts not only his own playing, but that of the section he's supposed to be leading, members say.