Met opera to probe misconduct costs in opposition to conductor

NEW YORK (AP) — Serene York’s Metropolitan Opera said Saturday it could perhaps perhaps open an investigation into allegations that its longtime conductor, James Levine, sexually abused a particular person three decades in the past foundation when the man was once a teenager.

Levine’s accuser, now middle-aged, contacted the police department in Lake Wooded space, Illinois, in October of 2016 to notify that he’d had sexual contact with the conductor when he was once below age 18.

He said he was once reaching out to police in Lake Wooded space because some of his encounters with Levine took web web narrate there in the mid-Eighties. Levine served as song director at the Ravinia Pageant, outdoors Chicago, from 1973 to 1993.

Details of the police notify had been first reported Saturday on the procure device of the Serene York Post. Met officers said they learned of the police notify closing three hundred and sixty five days.

« This first came to the Met’s attention when the Illinois police investigation was once opened in October 2016, » the Met said in an announcement. « On the time, Mr. Levine said that the costs had been entirely false, and we relied upon the additional investigation of the police. We would like to resolve if these costs are correct and, in the event that they are, decide acceptable movement. We are going to now be conducting our hold investigation with outdoors sources. »

An electronic mail to Levine’s manager looking out out for divulge on the accusations was once now now not straight away returned.

The accuser, whose title is being withheld by The Associated Press, contacted journalists from several info organizations and posted a handful of things on social media accusing Levine of abusing him when he was once younger.

The Lake Wooded space department assigned a detective who spent as a minimal seven months investigating the allegations, in step with a redacted copy of her written experiences on the case.

The accuser, who at the time hoped for a occupation in song, instructed police the conductor had invited him to audition for him in Serene York after which galvanized him to raise in sexual « experimentation. »

He furthermore said that his relationship with Levine extended well into adulthood and that the composer gave him cash over the years when he was once having financial considerations, amounting to bigger than $50,000.

The man instructed police he closing spoke with Levine in 2014. On the time, he said, Levine said he would now now not send him cash anymore.

The Associated Press would now not on the total title alleged victims of sexual abuse with out their consent. In this case, the man requested that his title now now not be published and declined to be interviewed on the notify.

The accusations in opposition to Levine, among presumably the most renowned classical song conductors on this planet, are the most modern in a movement of sexual misconduct costs inspiring excessive-profile males in leisure and the media that hold rocked the nation since accusations in opposition to film rich particular person Harvey Weinstein had been reported in October.

Levine served as song director of the Met from 1976 to 2016, when he assumed the characteristic of song director emeritus.

Levine has struggled with well being considerations alongside with Parkinson’s disease in most modern years but is scheduled to habits several productions this season.

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Associated Press reporter Karen Matthews contributed to this notify.