Former Met Opera maestro James Levine, whose career was ended by allegations of sexual abuse and harassment, dies in Palm Springs at the age of 77

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Conductor James Levine, who ruled over the Metropolitan Opera for more than four decades before he was fired for sexual improprieties, has died at the age of 77.

Levine passed away of natural causes last Tuesday at his home in Palm Springs, California, his physician confirmed. 

Levine made his debut at Met back in 1971 before becoming one of the company's most famous conductors. 

From 1976 until 2016, he served as as music or artistic director at the famed opera house in New York City, ruling over its orchestra and singers. 

Across those four decades, he conducted an astonishing 2,552 performances. 

But Levine was forced out of his plum role in 2016 by the Met's general manager,  Peter Gelb, due to Parkinson's disease.

He subsequently served as the Met's music director emeritus and remained head of its young artists program, but his health woes were compounded by sexual assault allegations that surfaced in December  20117. 

Explosive accounts of sexual impropriety stretching back to the 1960s were reported in multiple New York newspapers, leading to his suspension from the Met. 

The company opened an investigation that December, interviewing more than 70 people. Some accounts of his abuse include forcing mutual masturbation among his students. 

He was fired from the Met in March 2018, and never conducted again.

Conductor James Levine, who ruled over the Metropolitan Opera for more than four decades before he was fired for sexual improprieties, has died at the age of 77. He is pictured in 2006 

Levine made his debut at Met back in 1971 before becoming one of the company's most famous conductors. He is pictured conducting the Metropolitan Orchestra during a rehearsal for a performance at Vienna's famed Musikverein on May 1996

 Levine was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1943, and began his career in Cleveland in the mid- 1960s. 

He subsequently performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra before moving to New York City. 

He made his debut at the Met in 1971, at the age of just 28, and was named its principal conductor the following year.  

Levine quickly became the most famous figures in opera and was compared to Leonard Bernstein. He graced the cover of TIME magazine in 1983.  

A report from that year stated that he was the highest-paid American conductor, with an annual salary of $3.5 million. 

As the most powerful and influential figure at the Met, he presided over up-and-coming musicians, but whispers of harassment and abuse followed him for years. 

Levine was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1943, and began his career in Cleveland in the mid- 1960s. He is pictured in the 1960s

In December 2017, The New York Times published a bombshell report featuring interviews with men who claimed they had been sexually abused by Levine back in the 1960s.   

Three of them were his students.  

One alleged victim, Chris Brown, said that he was abused by Levine in the summer of 1968 when he was 17. He was a student at the Meadow Brook School of Music in Michigan at the time where Levine led the school's orchestral program.

The alleged abuse occurred in a dorm during night when Levine allegedly masturbated on him and asked him to reciprocate.

 When he declined to do so again Levine allegedly punished Brown by ignoring him for the rest of the summer program even while conducting him.

Another alleged victim James Lestock was a cellist who claims he was abused one summer along with other musicians in Cleveland. .

He claimed that, during one incident, Levine had a group of young men wear blindfolds and then masturbate partners they could not see.

The report prompted the Met to suspend the conductor as they commenced an investigation. 

All together, nine people publicly came forward to accuse Levine of sexually abusing them. 

Levine conducted performances at the Metropolian Opera House at  Lincoln Center in Manhattan (pictured)

He is pictured conducting at the Met back in 1997 

Levine (second from left) is pictured with world famous operatic trio Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti in 1998

Levine was fired from the Met in March 2018, following the investigation. 

The Met announced that it 'uncovered credible evidence' of Levine's abusive history to those under his authority.

'The investigation uncovered credible evidence that Mr. Levine had engaged in sexually abusive and harassing conduct both before and during the period when he worked at the Met,' the Met said in a statement.

'The investigation also uncovered credible evidence that Mr. Levine engaged in sexually abusive and harassing conduct towards vulnerable artists in the early stages of their careers, over whom Mr. Levine had authority. In light of these findings, the Met concludes that it would be inappropriate and impossible for Mr. Levine to continue to work at the Met,' the statement added. 

 Levine never conducted again. 

In a statement on Wednesday, the Met said it 'honors the memory' of Levine and acknowledged his 'undeniable artistic achievements' but said his relationship with the opera company frayed in the wake of the sexual misconduct allegations. 

Levine was fired from the Met in March 2018,, following the investigation into sexual abuse claimes. He is pictured in 2006