Plácido Domingo Resigns From Los Angeles Opera Amid Harassment Investigations | Playbill

Classic Arts News Plácido Domingo Resigns From Los Angeles Opera Amid Harassment Investigations The opera star has served as general director of the West Coast company since 2003 and was slated to sing the Duke of Nottingham in Roberto Devereux this season.
Placido Domingo

One week after the announcement of his departure from the Metropolitan Opera, Plácido Domingo has resigned as general director of Los Angeles Opera, as well as all future performances with the company. His stepping down effectively marks the termination of all ties and foreseeable engagements with U.S. opera houses as investigations into a series of sexual harassment allegations continue.

In addition to his artistic and administrative leadership, Domingo was scheduled to make his role debut as the Duke of Nottingham in the West Coast company’s Roberto Devereux later this season.

Domingo was a key figure in the formation of L.A. Opera, including as an artistic consultant and with a star turn in the title role of the company’s 1986 inaugural production: Otello. He has since sung 30 additional roles with the company, ranging from the tenor repertory that launched his career to the baritone roles to which he more recently transitioned. He assumed the position of general director in 2003, having served as artistic director for three years.

His official resignation comes a week after his departure from the Metropolitan Opera’s current and future seasons, including a last-minute withdrawal from the company’s production of Macbeth on the eve of the revival’s first performance. Additional companies across the country, including Dallas Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra, and San Francisco Opera, severed ties with the artist as accusations arose.

The allegations date back to the late 1980s, with more than 20 women citing accounts of sexual harassment and misconduct backstage, in the rehearsal halls, and outside the professional realm. In response, Los Angeles Opera announced the launch of an investigation into these accounts, with another spearheaded by the American Guild of Musical Artists.

 

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