Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Wikidata P18)
James Levine
Conductor
Born June 23, 1943 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States (1943–2021)·d. March 9, 2021 in New York City, United States (aged 78)
Opera
James Lawrence Levine was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016, and conducted 2577 Met performances. At the end of his career, his reputation was tarnished by allegations of sexual misconduct stretching back half a century. Levine denied the claims, but the Met found them credible enough to fire him in 2018.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
3 Principal Houses
Spotlight
Career Trajectory
Levine emerged in the 1960s as a prodigiously gifted conductor, winning the American Conductors Competition in 1961 at age seventeen. He rose to prominence through his work at the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell, then at the Ravinia Festival, before joining the Metropolitan Opera in 1971—where he would remain for four decades as Music Director, reshaping American opera through exacting standards and visionary programming. His parallel symphonic career, anchored by his tenure at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, established him as a major interpreter of the Germanic repertoire.
Career Highlight
Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera (1976–2016), during which he conducted over 2,500 performances and elevated the company to international prominence
At a Glance
- Voice
- Conductor
- Nationality
- United States
- Born
- 1943 · Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Training & Education
Juilliard School
Principal Houses
Engagements
Verified past & upcoming performances
We're building James Levine's engagement archive. Check back soon.
Available Performances
We're indexing James Levine's streaming history. Check back soon.