Famous Conductor With Cleveland Ties Accused Of Sexual Abuse

CLEVELAND, OH — Famed New York Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine has been accused by four men of sexually abusing them during his decades long career. Two of the men leveling accusations at the conductor say he abused them while in Cleveland, where he served as a teacher at the Cleveland Institute of Music and assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra.

The story of Levine's abuse was broken by the New York Times, which reported that a clique of young men were sexually abused by the conductor in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in both New York and Cleveland.

Albin Ifsich and James Lestock said Levine took advantage of them at a home and a hotel on Euclid Avenue, the Plain Dealer reports. Ilfisch described one of the incidents.

“And then he says, ‘If we’re going to work on your violin I have to understand you sexually,’” Ifsich said. The conductor then exposed himself and began masturbating, The New York Times reported.

Both the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Institute of Music have said there were no complaints filed against Levine during his tenure at those institutions. Both Lestock and Ilfisch said they did not report the incidents.

The accusations against Levine stretch from the 1960s through the 1980s, from his career's start in Cleveland to his eventual work with the world-famous New York Met.

The New York Metropolitan Opera has suspended its relationship with Levine, pending the results of its investigation. The conductor will not be involved with any of the famed opera house's upcoming productions.

"While we await the results of the investigation, based on the news reports, the Met has made the decision to act now," said Peter Gelb, Met General Manager in a statement. "This is a tragedy for anyone whose life has been affected."

Gelb said that prior to these accusations coming out, there had been no complaints against Levine, the New York Times reports.

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File