Met opera suspends conductor amid allegations
NEW YORK — New York’s Metropolitan Opera on Sunday said it was suspending its relationship with longtime conductor James Levine pending an investigation into multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
“Mr. Levine will not be involved in any Met activities, including conducting scheduled performances at the Met this season,” the Met said in a statement.
The Met said it has appointed Robert J. Cleary, a former U.S. attorney and the current head of the investigations practice at the Proskauer Rose law firm, to lead the investigation.
The action to suspend Levine came a day after the New York Post reported that one of Levine’s accusers claimed he had sexual contact with Levine as a teenager. Met officials said they learned of the police report last year and announced they were launching an investigation. Then on Sunday, the New York Times reported similar accounts from two other men accusing Levine of sexual misconduct.
“Based on these new reports, the Met has made the decision to act now, while we await the results of the investigation,” said Peter Gelb, Met General Manager. “This is a tragedy for anyone whose life has been affected.”
An email to Levine’s manager seeking comment on the accusations was not immediately returned.
The accusations against Levine, among the most prominent classical music conductors in the world, are the latest in a stream of sexual misconduct charges involving high-profile men in entertainment and the media.
Levine served as music director of the Met from 1976 to 2016, when he assumed the position of music director emeritus. Levine has struggled with health problems in recent years but was scheduled to conduct several productions this season.