James Levine
James Levine | |
|---|---|
Levine at the Met in 2013 | |
| Born | June 23, 1943 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | March 9, 2021 (aged 77) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Conductor, pianist |
| Years active | 1961–2017 |
| Known for | Music director of the Metropolitan Opera Fantasia 2000 |
| Spouse | Suzanne Thomson (2020–2021)[1] |
James Lawrence Levine (/lɪˈvaɪn/ liv-EYEN; June 23, 1943 – March 9, 2021)[2] was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016, and wielded the baton for 2577 Met performances. At the end of his career, his reputation was tarnished by allegations of sexual misconduct.[3][2][4] Levine denied the claims, but the Met found them credible enough to fire him in 2018.[5]
Levine held leadership positions with the Ravinia Festival, the Munich Philharmonic, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 1980 he started the Lindemann Young Artists Development Program, and trained singers, conductors, and musicians for professional careers.
After taking an almost two-year health-related hiatus from conducting from 2011 to 2013, during which time he held artistic and administrative planning sessions at the Met, and led training of the Lindemann Young Artists,[6] Levine retired as the Met's full-time Music Director following the 2015–16 season to become Music Director Emeritus.
- ^ Millington, Barry (March 18, 2021). "James Levine obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ a b Tommasini, Anthony (March 17, 2021). "James Levine, Former Met Opera Maestro, Is Dead at 77". The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NYT-2017was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Millington, Barry. "James Levine obituary". The Guardian.
- ^ Tilden, Imogen (March 13, 2018). "Conductor James Levine fired by New York's Metropolitan Opera". The Guardian. London. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ "James Levine to Return to Conducting at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013". Opera News Magazine. New York. October 11, 2012. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2020.