Former Met conductor’s company received $936K from opera in final season

Associated Press
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 7:54 p.m. | Wednesday, May 15, 2019 7:54 p.m.

Go Ad-Free Today!

Associated Press

In this July 2006 photo, James Levine conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra on its opening night performance at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. On Thursday, March 15, 2018, Levine filed suit against New York’s Metropolitan Opera over a sexual-misconduct investigation that sank his storied career.

NEW YORK — Records show conductor James Levine’s company received more than $936,755 from the Metropolitan Opera in his 47th and final season, a tenure cut short when he was fired as music director emeritus after an investigation found evidence of sexual abuse and harassment.

The payments to Phramus were disclosed Wednesday when the Met released its tax return for the year ending last July 31. The payments to Phramus were in the calendar year 2017.

Levine, who turns 76 next month, made his Met debut in 1971 was music or artistic director from 1976-2016, then became its music director emeritus after the 2016-17 season. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Phramus received $1,827,615 from the Met in the calendar year 2016 and $1,543,119 in 2017.

He was suspended in December 2017 and fired the following March. Levine and Phramus sued, claiming breach of contract and defamation, a case that still is progressing toward trial.