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Artist News
Plácido Domingo resigns as General Director of the Los Angeles Opera
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 4 October 2019
Plácido Domingo has resigned from his position as General Director of the Los Angeles Opera company, amid ongoing claims of sexual harassment made against him by 20 women.
Last week Domingo also pulled out of his appearance in a production of Verdi’s ‘Macbeth’ at New York’s Met Opera. Other opera institutions in America had already cancelled upcoming performances by him in the wake of the allegations.
Eighteen women, including other performers, made claims of harassment against Domingo via two recent Associated Press articles, with others subsequently coming forward. The accusations span three decades.
The LA Opera and record industry trade group IFPI, where he is Honorary Chair, launched investigations into the claims. The American Guild Of Musical Artists then also launched its own investigation, saying that it was not confident that opera companies were doing enough to scrutinise the claims.
In a statement announcing his departure from the LA Opera, Domingo said: “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. While I will continue to work to clear my name, I have decided that it is in the best interests of LA Opera for me to resign as its General Director and withdraw from my future scheduled performances at this time”.
The opera company has confirmed that it will continue its investigation despite the resignation. Although he has seemingly now withdrawn from the US opera industry entirely, Domingo’s website still lists various upcoming shows in Europe, including a sold out performance in Switzerland next week.
