James Levine was a conductor and pianist.
In 2017 multiple men claimed they were abused by Levine as minors as far back as the 1960s. In response the Metropolitan Opera suspended its relationship with Levine and launched an investigation. Allegedly the Metropolitan Opera had known of at least one sexual abuse allegation against Levine as early as 1979. General Manager Peter Gelb had been contacted by a police detective about a separate allegation in 2016, the year before, but took no action. Levine had already resigned by the time any investigation took place. When he died the Metropolitan Opera published a glowing tribute on their page.
Affiliations
Articles
- Cooper, Michael (December 2, 2017). Met Opera to Investigate James Levine Over Sexual Abuse Accusation. New York Times. Archived from the original on April 3, 2025.
- Eichler, Jeremy (March 17, 2021). James Levine, disgraced former Met Opera maestro and BSO music director, is dead at 77. Boston Globe. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023.
- Associated Press (March 17, 2021). James Levine, former Ravinia Festival music director accused of sexual abuse, dead at age 77. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 30, 2025.
- The Metropolitan Opera. James Levine, 1943–2021. The Metropolitan Opera.