Plácido Domingo Had ‘Inappropriate Activity’ With Women, Union Finds – The New York Times

The opera enormous name Plácido Domingo, whose 5-decade American occupation used to be sidelined closing one year by allegations of sexual misconduct, “engaged in poor activity, starting from flirtation to sexual advances, in and outside of the place of job,” an investigation by a performers’ union realized.

The beginning on Tuesday of the findings of the union, the American Guild of Musical Artists, prompted Mr. Domingo, 79, a renowned tenor who held leadership positions at the Los Angeles Opera and the Washington National Opera, to say of affairs his fullest apology but.

“I maintain taken time over the closing plenty of months to replicate on the allegations that varied colleagues of mine maintain made against me,” Mr. Domingo stated in an announcement. “I respect that these girls folks indirectly felt fully pleased ample to keep in touch out, and I want them to know that I’m with out a doubt sorry for the injure that I prompted them.”

“I receive elephantine responsibility for my actions, and I maintain grown from this journey,” he continued. “I understand now that some girls folks might possibly well maybe moreover maintain feared expressing themselves truthfully on account of a say of affairs that their careers would be adversely affected within the occasion that they did so. Whereas that used to be by no device my blueprint, nobody must ever be made to feel that blueprint.”

The inquiry began after The Related Press reported closing summer season that more than 20 girls folks had accused Mr. Domingo of sexual harassment or poor behavior courting inspire to the gradual-1980s. Most had been no longer named.

Several American firms, including the Metropolitan Opera and the San Francisco Opera, canceled Mr. Domingo’s appearances following the allegations. But European firms stated they would possibly no longer sleep for the tip results of investigations into his behavior earlier than acting. It used to be no longer instantly decided how they would possibly answer to the union’s findings.

Next month, Mr. Domingo is scheduled to affirm the title role in Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra” at the Hamburg Dispute Opera. A spokesman for the firm, Michael Bellgardt, stated in an email on Tuesday that he anticipated Mr. Domingo to invent as deliberate “if nothing occurs to name this into question.”

Mr. Domingo moreover has upcoming performances deliberate at the Bolshoi in Moscow, the Teatro Precise in Madrid, the Vienna Dispute Opera, the Royal Opera Home in London and Teatro alla Scala in Milan, among others. “Placido can be right here within the summer season performing as deliberate in Don Carlo,” Vicky Kington, a spokeswoman for the Royal Opera Home, stated in an email on Tuesday, when asked if the union’s findings would affect his look.

The elephantine little print of the investigation commissioned by the American Guild of Musical Artists, which represents opera soloists, choristers, choral singers, actors, ballet dancers and manufacturing workers, had been no longer instantly launched. But its conclusions had been.

“The investigation concluded that Mr. Domingo had, actually, engaged in poor activity, starting from flirtation to sexual advances, in and outside of the place of job,” it stated in an announcement. “A lot of the witnesses expressed exertion of retaliation within the industry as their reason for no longer coming forward sooner.”

Raymond Menard, the union president, stated in an announcement that the union would “remain committed to confronting systemic complications that might possibly well maybe moreover trigger our contributors to suffer illegal discrimination and harassment at work, and to conserving the health and safety of our contributors.”

The Los Angeles Opera, which Mr. Domingo helped realized, and led till he stepped down closing one year, is mute conducting its hold investigation.

Alex Marshall contributed reporting.