James Levine

At 81 years old, James Levine physical status not available right now. We will update James Levine's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Career

Levine worked as an apprentice to George Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra from 1964 to 1965. He appeared as the Orchestra's assistant conductor until 1970. He made his debuts with the Philadelphia Orchestra at its summer home in Robin Hood Dell, the Welsh National Opera, and the San Francisco Opera. He taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music from 1965 to 1972. He appeared at the Meadow Brook School of Music in Michigan and at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's summer home. During that time, Levine's charismatic network gained a devoted fanbase of young musicians and music enthusiasts.

Levine appeared in June 1971, being recalled at the last minute to substitute István Kertész for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Mahler's Second Symphony, the Ravinia Festival's first concert in the city's 36th season. This concert was the start of a long association with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He appeared on the Ravinia Festival from 1973 to 1993, succeeding the late Kertész. He made numerous recordings with the orchestra, including the symphonies and Requiem of Johannes Brahms, as well as Gershwin's major works, such as the symphonies and German Requiem of Johannes Brahms, as well as Beethoven, Mozart, Beethoven, Mozart, and others. In 1990, at Roy E. Disney's behest, he arranged the music and conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the Fantasia 2000 soundtrack, which was released by Walt Disney Pictures. Levine served as the Cincinnati May Festival's music director from 1974 to 1978.

Levine made his Metropolitan Opera debut a few weeks before he turned 28, on June 5, 1971, and he was in charge of Puccini's Tosca's Tosca in the Festival. He was named the company's principal conductor in February 1972 after further appearances with the company. In 1975, he became the company's music director. He served as conductor and musical director for the Franco Zeffirelli film adaptation of Verdi's La Traviata, which included the Met orchestra and chorus members in 1983. In 1986, he became the company's first artistic director, before relinquishing the name in 2004. Levine's total income from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Met made him the country's highest-paid conductor, earning him $3.5 million.

The Metropolitan Opera orchestra expanded its operations into recording and concert series for the orchestra and chamber ensembles from Carnegie Hall during Levine's tenure. On several domestic and international tours, Levine conducted the Metropolitan Opera. Levine conducted the world premiere of John Harbison's The Great Gatsby, which was commissioned for the occasion on the 25th anniversary of his Met debut. Peter Gelb, the Met's general manager, emphasized that Levine would continue to perform as long as he wanted to perform there. In 2010, Levine was paid $2.1 million by the Met.

Levine's health issues led to his exclusion from many Metropolitan Opera engagements, prompting his cancellation from many of them. Levine officially withdrew from all Met engagements following Wagner's Die Walküre's appearance in May 2011. He returned to conducting with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in May 2013. In a revival performance of Mozart's Cos fan tutte, Levine performed his first Met performance since May 2011. In the 2013–14 season, he was scheduled to appear three times at the opera house and three at Carnegie Hall. Levine will step down from his position as music director at the end of the 2015–16 season, Met management announced on April 14, 2016. By the Met, Levine was paid $1.8 million for the 2015–16 season. He assumed the new name Music Director Emeritus, which he held on until December 2017, after Levine was accused of sexually assaulting four young men, the Met ended its relations with him and cancelled all of his scheduled performances with the company.

In April 1972, Levine conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). He was appointed the BSO's first American-born conductor in October 2001, beginning with the 2004-05 season.

Levine's one unusual occurrence was increased flexibility in the time allotted for rehearsal, allowing the orchestra additional time to create more challenging works. The orchestra also established a "Artistic Initiative Fund" of about $40 million to fund the more costly of his programs at the start of his tenure.

Levine did not attend any orchestra auditions during his BSO tenure, according to one of his BSO performances. According to a 2005 survey, he attended two out of 16 auditions during his time as a director. After the initial probationary period, Levine said he would have the ability to advise musician selection decisions, and that it is impossible to know how well a candidate will do well until that individual has had the opportunity to work with the orchestra: "The audition isn't everything."

According to another 2005 study, Levine's first season as music director increased physical strain on some of the BSO musicians. Levine and the participants met to discuss this, and Levine and the players decided to make program changes to lessen these demands. Since the orchestra's inception, he has been praised for the orchestra's quality and repertoire from the outset of his tenure.

Levine suffered with persistent health issues, beginning with an onstage crash that resulted in a torn rotator cuff and began discussions of how long Levine's BSO service would last. In April 2010, it was discovered that Levine had not signed a contract extension, but that he was the BSO's music director without a signed contract. After the Orchestra's Tanglewood season, Levine resigned as music director, effective September 2011.

Composer John Harbison dedicated his Symphony No. 2 to Levine and the BSO while on a commission from Levine and the BSO. He was greeted "in friendship and admiration" for his premature departure from the orchestra that prevented him from attending the premiere.

Following allegations of assaulting a number of young men, the BSO said Levine "will never be hired or contracted by the BSO at any time in the future."

Levine's BSO membership limited his appearances with American orchestras, but he continued to perform in Europe, with the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and the Bayreuth Festival. Levine was a frequent visitor to the Philharmonia of London and the Staatskapelle Dresden. He appeared regularly at the Salzburg Festival and the annual July Verbier Festival, beginning in 1975. He was chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic from 1999 to 2004, and he was credited with raising the quality of the orchestral ensemble during his tenure.

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