James Levine

James Lawrence Levine (June 23, 1943 – March 9, 2021) was an American conductor and pianist. He was primarily known for his tenure as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera (the "Met"), a position he held for 40 years (1976–2016). He was formally terminated by the Met from all his positions and affiliations with the company on March 12, 2018 over sexual misconduct allegations that he denies.Levine has made numerous recordings, as well as television and radio broadcasts, with the Met. On December 2, 2017, The New York Times published a front-page story containing detailed accounts of four men in their 40s to 60s alleging their long-term sexual abuse by Levine occurring decades earlier, while each was a music student of his in his teens or early 20s. The following day, the Met suspended Levine and cancelled his future scheduled engagements.