Domingo denies accusations
Two music companies cancelled appearances by Placido Domingo and the Los Angeles Opera said yesterday it would launch an investigation in response to a story in which numerous women accused the opera legend of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour spanning decades.
Domingo has been general director of the LA Opera since 2003 and previously served as the company’s artistic director, jobs that gave him the power to cast roles and – his accusers say – make, or break, careers.
Some of the women said that Domingo used his power at the LA company and elsewhere to try to pressure them into sexual relationships, with several saying that he dangled jobs and then sometimes punished them professionally if they refused his advances.
The Philadelphia Orchestra and San Francisco Opera yesterday announced they would cancel upcoming performances featuring the star, regarded as one of the greatest opera singers of all time.
New York’s Metropolitan Opera said it would await the results of LA Opera’s investigation ‘‘before making any final decisions about Domingo’s future at the Met,’’ where he is scheduled to appear next month.
The accusers – all but one of whom requested anonymity – said they had feared speaking out previously would kill their careers because of his immense standing.
Domingo has called the allegations ‘‘deeply troubling and, as presented, inaccurate,’’ adding ‘‘I believed that all of my interactions and relationships were
Wulf recalled the compassion of a male colleague who offered to stand up for her if she wanted to report him. ‘‘They’re not going to fire him – they’ll fire me,’’ she remembered telling him.
always welcomed and consensual.’’
The LA Opera said it would hire outside counsel to investigate the ‘‘concerning allegations’’.
‘‘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. ‘‘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 Met held a black-tie dinner in April for Domingo, where seats started at $2500. He is scheduled to play the lead of Macbeth in three Met shows in September and October.
At the Salzburg Festival in Austria, where Domingo is scheduled to appear on August 31 – his next scheduled performance – festival president Helga Rabl-stadler said organisers 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.’’
‘‘I would find it factually wrong and morally irresponsible to make irreversible judgments at this point,’’ she said.
Retired mezzo-soprano Patricia Wulf, the sole accuser to allow her name to be used, said that Domingo behaved inappropriately with her when she worked at the Washington Opera. Even after she repeatedly rebuffed his advances, she said, his persistence continued and he would often knock on her dressing room door, causing her to fear emerging if he was in the hallway.
Wulf recalled the compassion of a male colleague who offered to stand up for her if she wanted to report him. ‘‘They’re not going to fire him – they’ll fire me,’’ she remembered telling him.
Too fearful to complain about Domingo at the time, Wulf said she spoke out now to end the culture of silence about abuse in the opera world. ‘‘I’m stepping forward because I hope that it can help other women come forward, or be strong enough to say no.’’
The women claim Domingo repeatedly harassed them. Seven of the accusers claimed their careers suffered when they rebuffed his advances because of his ‘‘God-like’’ stature within the opera world. They accuse Domingo of acts that ranged from unwelcome touching to putting pressure on them to have sex. They said they felt emboldened by the Metoo movement which began in 2017 as an attempt to tackle sexual misconduct in the workplace.
The Spanish-born tenor has won nine Grammy and five Latin Grammy awards and was a member of the Three Tenors, with Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras. – Telegraph Group, AP