Trigger Warning: The following content contains mentions of sexual assault, abuse, and the actions of David Riccobono.

My Statement

This is an incredibly difficult thing for me to share, but I feel compelled to make my story known to warn others and to make peace with what I went through.

In August of this year [2024], I was SA-ed while under the influence by David Riccobono, my boyfriend at the time, who is a percussionist in the LA Phil. It was an extremely violating and deeply painful betrayal to be assaulted by someone I trusted deeply. Coming to terms with what happened to me—being stripped of my bodily autonomy and disrespected so profoundly—has been an incredibly painful process.

Shortly after the assault took place, David became overtly emotionally abusive, resorting to calling me names and tearing me down in a variety of ways before suddenly ending the relationship. After the relationship ended, I sought to address the harm caused by the assault through a restorative justice process, which focuses on accountability and healing through mediated dialogue. Instead of responding, David chose to block me and several of my friends on social media, avoiding any acknowledgment or accountability.

I am sharing my experience publicly because I suspect I may not be the only person harmed by his actions, nor will I be the last if he continues the behaviors I personally witnessed and experienced. As a person in a position of power within an esteemed organization, he is in a unique place to potentially harm others in the future.

I encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed his harmful behavior to come forward and reclaim your voice. Raising awareness about harmful behavior like this is essential to protecting ourselves and others. If you have experienced something similar, I urge you to seek support and advocate for accountability. We all deserve to live free from fear and harm.

Sharing this is part of my journey to heal. I refuse to remain silent about what happened. Speaking out is not only my way of reclaiming my story but also a step toward preventing harm and fostering accountability.

I am deeply grateful to those who have supported me as I process and heal from this experience. Their care has made sharing this possible. ❤️

The original Instagram post is below: 

Who is David Riccobono, besides the sexual assault allegations? 

From the LA Phil's website: 

"David Riccobono joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as the Assistant Principal Timpani/Section Percussion at the beginning of the 2022/23 season. Prior to this, he was Principal Percussionist of the Long Beach Symphony and an avid freelancer in the greater Los Angeles area. Riccobono has performed as either percussionist or timpanist with the LA Phil, LA Opera, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Virginia Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, and Pasadena Symphony. His summer engagements include fellowships with the Round Top Festival Institute, Tanglewood Music Center, and Music Academy of the West, as well as performing with the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra in San Diego. 

[Prior to May 2025 LA Phil bio included] A native of Huntington Beach, CA, David began playing percussion at the age of 8. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from UCLA, studying with both Raynor Carroll and Theresa Dimond. He then went on to pursue a Master of Music degree from USC, studying with James Babor, Joseph Pereira, Naoko Takada and Matthew Howard. David Riccobono has also competed in the Modern Snare Drum Competition in Cleveland, OH and was runner up in both 2019 and 2021."

This site is authored by Hannah Criswell. It is a personal account that reflects my lived experience. All statements are made in good faith and are protected under California law, including Civil Code § 47.1 (AB 933, 2023).

Site last updated June 1st, 2025.