Tenor Placido Domingo Accused of Sexual Harassment
The Latest on sexual harassment allegations by famed tenor Placido Domingo. European opera houses are standing by their performance dates for famed tenor Placido Domingo following sexual harassment allegations.
The Milan opera house La Scala has confirmed announced dates featuring Domingo, including a Dec. 15 concert to mark the 50th anniversary of his debut on the La Scala stage.
In this Friday, July 12, 2019, photo, Placido Domingo speaks during a news conference about his upcoming show “Giovanna d’Arco” in Madrid, Spain. Eight opera singers and a dancer have told The Associated Press that they were sexually harassed by Domingo, one of the most celebrated and powerful men in opera. The women say the encounters took place over three decades, at venues that included opera companies where he held top managerial positions. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
In Europe, where Domingo’s website indicates he has 19 engagements scheduled through November 2020, no venue has canceled an engagement in reaction to a story by The Associated Press reporting allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by the star-spanning decades.
Domingo’s performances as Nabucco at the Zurich Opera House in October and at London’s Royal Opera House in Don Carlo next year remain scheduled as planned. Both opera houses said they will monitor an investigation by the Los Angeles Opera House, where Domingo has been a general director since 2003 and previously was an artistic director.
While two U.S. opera houses immediately canceled performances by famed tenor Placido Domingo following sexual harassment allegations, European opera houses are taking stances ranging from supportive to wait-and-see.
FILE – In this Aug. 26, 2014, file photo, Placido Domingo speaks at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, the LA Opera said it will hire outside counsel to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by the opera legend. Domingo has denied the accusations, but noted: “Still, it is painful to hear that I may have upset anyone or made them feel uncomfortable.” (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
The Philadelphia Orchestra and San Francisco Opera announced they would cancel upcoming performances featuring the star and the Los Angeles Opera opened an investigation following an Associated Press story in which numerous women accused the opera legend of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior spanning decades.
In Europe, there were no immediate cancellations of his performances and even some words of support for the star. Opera world officials noted that no charges had been brought against Domingo and no formal judicial investigations were underway.
His upcoming performances in Salzburg, Milan, London, Zurich, and Geneva were still on but some venues said they would monitor the LA investigation.
A poster with pictures of Placido Domingo in Salzburg, Austria, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019, where singer Placido Domingo will perform ‘Luisa Miller’ by Giuseppe Verdi. Numerous women have told The Associated Press that celebrated opera superstar Placido Domingo tried to pressure them into sexual relationships by dangling jobs and sometimes punishing them when they refused his advances. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson)
