Metropolitan Opera fired influential conductor due to harassment charges

Metropolitan Opera in New York 12 March announced the termination of cooperation with 74-year-old James Levine - the famous American conductor and honorary music director of the theater.

Photo: metopera.org

The decision was made on the basis of an independent verification of charges of sexual harassment against the musician, writes “Medusa".

In the course of the investigation, which was carried out by former federal prosecutor Robert J. Cleary, “convincing evidence” was found that Levine solicited the young musicians who were under his command.

James Levine has worked at the Metropolitan Opera since the early 1970s. Already in 30 years he became the chief conductor, then music director, and then artistic director of the theater. During his time at the theater, he spent more than two and a half thousand concerts. Levine worked with other famous musical groups and organizations, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Ravinia Festival. He 37 once nominated for a Grammy and 10 won once.

Rumors about the inappropriate behavior of James Levine appeared from the end of the 1970-s, but this did not lead to any consequences, the musician and the Metropolitan Opera all these years have rejected the charges as groundless.

Detailed evidence appeared in December 2017 of the year, in the wake of numerous publications on harassment in the American show business. About harassment by the conductor told four men. We are talking about the episodes that happened in the 1960-x and 1980-s, all of them were then minors.

In 2017, this became known from Illinois Police Documentswhere 2016-year-old man Ashok Pai turned in 48. He said that he first saw Levine in 1973 at the Ravinia festival in Illinois. According to the police report, the conductor "became interested" in the boy and in the following years sent him gifts, like a conductor's wand. Shares met Levine again at a festival in the mid-1980, when he was 15 years old; the conductor drove him to the house and in the car, according to the memories of Pai, “long and incredibly sensually” held his hand.

The following summer, the conductor invited the teenager to his hotel room, where he asked to get undressed, after which he began to touch his genitals and masturbate. Later, according to Pai, this happened “hundreds of times” over several years. At some point, Levine auditioned for the role of conductor (it was unsuccessful) for Pai, and in 1987, he wrote a letter of introduction to the college for the young man. He also gave him money - in total, according to Units, about 50 thousand dollars. The relationship between them continued until the 1993 year.

Later, three other men talked about harassment from Levine. All three incidents occurred in 1968, at Meadow Brooke’s Summer Music School, where 25-year-old James Levine led the orchestra.

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