Opera star accused of harassment
Opera star Placido Domingo was placed under investigation Tuesday by the Los Angeles Opera, which he helped found and has led since 2003, after The Associated Press reported that multiple women had accused him of sexual harassment over the years.
The allegations shook the opera world — where Domingo remains, at 78, an enormous force. The Philadelphia Orchestra withdrew its invitation for Domingo to sing at its opening night gala next month, and the San Francisco Opera canceled a concert with him in October.
New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where Domingo is scheduled to star in Verdi’s “Macbeth” next month opposite soprano Anna Netrebko, said it would await the results of the Los Angeles Opera’s investigation “before making any final decisions about Mr. Domingo’s ultimate future at the Met.”
The AP reported the allegations of multiple women who said Domingo had pressured them into sexual relationships in a series of encounters beginning in the late 1980s — including seven women who said that they felt their careers had been harmed after they rebuffed him. Domingo said in a statement that he believed “all of my interactions and relationships were always welcomed and consensual.”
Domingo, who has been married for more than 50 years, said in the statement that “the allegations from these unnamed individuals dating back as many as 30 years are deeply troubling, and as presented, inaccurate.” But he added that “it is painful to hear that I may have upset anyone or made them feel uncomfortable — no matter how long ago and despite my best intentions.”
He said “the rules and standards by which we are — and should be — measured against today are very different than they were in the past.” He pledged to hold himself “to the highest standards.”
Domingo occupies a unique position in the opera world. After shooting to fame as a star tenor — then reaching a far broader global audience as one of the Three Tenors, alongside Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras — he also became a conductor; founded the prestigious young artist competition Operalia; and began adding managerial positions, becoming the general director of the Washington National Opera and then the Los Angeles Opera, a position he still holds.
He also continues to have a prolific singing career in baritone roles.
The LA Opera said it would hire outside counsel to investigate the “concerning allegations” against Domingo.
“Placido Domingo has been a dynamic creative force in the life of LA opera and the artistic culture of Los Angeles for more than three decades,” the company said in a statement. “Nevertheless, we are committed to doing everything we can to foster a professional and collaborative environment where all our employees and artists feel equally comfortable, valued and respected.”
The accusers who spoke to the AP — all but one of whom requested anonymity — said they had feared speaking out previously would kill their careers due to his immense standing.
Three women quoted in the story detailed encounters that they said occurred while working with Domingo at the LA Opera, including one woman who told the AP that he stuck his hand down her skirt after urging her to come sing an aria for him at his apartment.
At the Salzburg Festival in Austria, where Domingo is scheduled to appear Aug. 31 — his next scheduled performance — festival president Helga Rabl-stadler said organizers agreed he should appear as planned.
“I have known Placido Domingo for more than 25 years,” Rabl-stadler said in a statement. “In addition to his artistic competence, I was impressed from the very beginning by his appreciative treatment of all festival employees.” Domingo