Opera singer is accused of raping musician in ’10
Man claims attack occurred at Midtown apartment after a performance; no charges have been filed
A budding musician has accused a prominent opera singer of drugging and raping him after his performance with the Houston Grand Opera in 2010, according to authorities.
Houston Police Department spokesman Keese Smith confirmed Wednesday evening that investigators are looking into a claim filed on July 27, eight years after the alleged attack in a Midtown apartment. No arrests or charges have been made at this time, Smith said.
Samuel Schultz, now an opera singer, identified himself as the accuser in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. The Rice University graduate claims famed countertenor David Daniels and his then-boyfriend, Scott Walker, sexually assaulted him.
The Chronicle does not typically name victims of sexual assault; however, it is identifying Schultz because he has gone public about his account.
A representative for Daniels did not respond to phone calls or emailed requests by the Chronicle for comment. Walker, whom he married in 2014, could not be reached.
The couple denied the allegations when reached by the New York Daily News, the newspaper that first reported the victim’s account of the alleged rape Wednesday morning.
The alleged assault is said to have taken place at the Midtown Arbor Place Apartments in the 10 block of Oak Court after a performance of Houston Grand Opera’s production of “Xerxes.”
Schultz, who grew up listening to Daniels’ voice, said he was ecstatic to meet him through a friend during the show’s run. The then-23-yearold attended the post-production party as Daniels’ guest, Schultz said
“There were no statements made on career consultations. As a student, it was an opportunity to hang out with a superstar,” said Schultz, a baritone who has now performed with the Houston Grand Opera, the Washington National Opera and at the Aspen Music Festival
Daniels’ repertoire spans nearly two decades starting with his Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2002.
Known for his specialty in Baroque music, Daniels is a repeat performer at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC and most recently returned to the Houston Grand Opera production of “Julius Caesar” in October 2017.
He has appeared in shows internationally, including a production of “Rodelinda” at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.
In a written account Schultz provided to the Chronicle, he said the three of them drove back to the Oak Court apartment after the party.
At the apartment, Schultz said he was handed a drink and doesn’t remember most of the night, according to that account. He woke up the next day believing he had been sexually assaulted.
Schultz said he has not spoken to Daniels or Walker since the alleged attack. A week after the assault, he said the couple emailed him with an invite to their home at the time in Atlanta. He ignored the email and within weeks threw away recordings he had collected of Daniels, he said.
Houston Grand Opera managing director Perryn Leech confirmed that Houston police investigators called him about the claim last week.
“We are absolutely determined to deal with it, if it turns out to be true, and to cooperate fully in the investigation,” Leech said. “We have no details of the case other than what we have read in the press.”
The police report makes no mention of Daniels and Walker, but both the Daily News and New York Times report Schultz identified his alleged assailants.
Schultz declined to go public against the celebrated countertenor after the alleged attack fearing it would jeopardize his music career. He cited the #MeToo movement, aimed at taking down repeat harassers and sexual abusers, for inspiring his decision this week to come forward. He posted a statement this week to his website addressing the 2010 assault, but his remarks do not identify his attackers or say where the assault took place.
A Harris County District Attorney’s Office spokesman said there is no statue of limitations for rape cases.