Officials at the Boston Symphony Orchestra now confirm they were aware of sexual harassment rumors surrounding conductor James Levine prior to hiring him as music director in 2001.
In a written statement, the BSO says it worked with a third party to adhere to due diligence and to run a criminal screening and thorough background check in its vetting of Levine. They said that though the organization was aware of the rumors, they were at the time not substantiated by any reputable news sources.
"Although the current allegations paint a different story about Mr. Levine," the BSO said in its statement, "the BSO's thorough vetting process in 2001 did not reveal any cause for concern."
Levine has since denied all the allegations against him.
Read the BSO's statement in its entirety below:
We were aware of the rumors about James Levine and knew through Johanna Fiedler's book about the Metropolitan Opera (2001) and other sources, that the rumors were vetted by investigative reporters at some of this country's most prestigious news outlets, none of whom were able to substantiate any of the rumors. In addition, while the search committee considered hiring James Levine as music director, the Boston Symphony Orchestra worked with a third party to adhere to due diligence in line with its employee hiring process for all senior management and artistic positions, including a background check with a criminal screening and an analysis of any possible civil claims, as well as many conversations with music professionals across the country associated with Mr. Levine throughout his long career. Although the current allegations paint a different story about Mr. Levine, the BSO's thorough vetting process in 2001 did not reveal any cause for concern.
