Levine << leh VYN >>, James (1943-2021), was an American conductor and pianist. He became principal conductor of the Metropolitan Opera (the Met) in New York City, New York, in 1973 and the company’s music director in 1976. He retired as music director in 2016 but continued in his role as conductor. Levine was artistic director from 1986 to 2004. From 2004 to 2011, Levine also served as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Levine was born on June 23, 1943, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and began piano lessons at the age of 4. He made his debut as a soloist at the age of 10, performing with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. From 1964 to 1970, he was apprentice conductor and then assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. Levine made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1971. He served as music director of the summer Ravinia Festival near Chicago from 1973 to 1993. He also conducted at the annual Bayreuth Festival in Germany and the Salzburg Festival in Austria. He was a guest conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. He also conducted regularly at the Vienna State Opera.
In 2017, several men accused Levine of having sexually abused them when they were teenagers. According to the Metropolitan Opera, the findings of an independent investigation ordered by the company supported the accusations, and the company fired Levine in 2018. Levine filed a lawsuit against the company for breach of contract and defamation of character. The Met countersued, accusing him of harming the company. The cases were settled out of court in 2019. Levine died on March 9, 2021.
