Ravinia Festival Cuts Ties With Levine

The Latest on sexual misconduct allegations against renowned Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine

The Ravinia Festival has cut all ties with famed conductor James Levine amid allegations of sexual misconduct that prompted the Metropolitan Opera to suspend him.

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer – James Levine
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The Chicago Tribune reports the 74-year-old Levine was music director for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s summer residencies at the music venue north of the city from 1973 to 1993. He was to have started a five-year term next summer as conductor laureate. The position was created for him.

The announcement follows New York Times’ interviews with three men who said Levine sexually abused them when they were teenagers.

The Metropolitan Opera said after the report Sunday that it was suspending its relationship with Levine.

Those quick actions, however, came more than a year after police in Illinois first reached out to the Met.
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A big question remains after renowned conductor James Levine was suspended from the Metropolitan Opera amid accusations of sexual abuse involving minors: Why did it take so long for the company to act after it was informed by police that he’d been accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy?

The Met was in crisis mode Monday after The New York Times published interviews with three men who said Levine sexually abused them when they were teenagers.

The opera said after the report Sunday that it was suspending its relationship with Levine.

Those quick actions, however, came more than a year after police in Illinois first reached out to the opera.

A Met spokeswoman says Levine denied the accusations and the opera did not want to interfere in the police investigation.