More Fallout for Placido Domingo

He resigns as general director of LA Opera in wake of accusations
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 2, 2019 4:00 PM CDT
More Fallout for Placido Domingo
In this Aug. 26, 2014, file photo, Placido Domingo speaks at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Opera star Placido Domingo resigned Wednesday as general director of the Los Angeles Opera and withdrew from future performances at the company following multiple allegations of sexual harassment reported by the AP. “I hold Los Angeles Opera very dearly to my heart and count my work to create and build it as among my most important legacies,” said Domingo, 78, who helped found the company in the 1980s. “However, recent accusations that have been made against me in the press have created an atmosphere in which my ability to serve this company that I so love has been compromised,” Domingo said in a statement, saying he will continue to work to clear his name but decided “it is in the best interests of LA Opera for me to resign as general director and withdraw from my future scheduled performances at this time.”

The resignation comes a week after the Metropolitan Opera’s bombshell announcement that Domingo would not be taking the stage as the lead of Macbeth and possibly ever again. Three other companies—the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Opera, and Dallas Opera—had already removed Domingo from upcoming performances in the wake of AP stories that detailed multiple allegations of harassment and a variety of misconduct alleged by singers, a dancer and backstage opera employees over a period that spanned decades. Domingo has denied any wrongdoing. Domingo’s departure from LA Opera raises questions about the future of his career in the United States, where he has been removed or has stepped down from all of his scheduled appearances for this year and next. He still has a busy schedule of concerts across Europe, where the reaction to the allegations has been more muted.

(More Placido Domingo stories.)

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