LONDON (AP) — Baroque music conductor John Eliot Gardiner is pulling out of future engagements after allegedly hitting a singer who left the stage incorrectly after a performance. The conductor said in a statement Thursday that he was stepping back to get "the specialist help I recognize that I have needed for some time.” “I want to apologize to colleagues who have felt badly treated and anyone who may feel let down by my decision to take time out to address my issues. I am heartbroken to have caused so much distress, and I am determined to learn from my mistakes,” he said.