Metropolitan Opera investigating James Levine misconduct allegations

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- New York's Metropolitan Opera says it is investigating allegations its famed conductor James Levine sexually abused an aspiring conductor for years, starting when he was 15 three decades ago.

The New York Times said Met officials acknowledged they had been aware of the alleged victim's police report since it was filed last year in Illinois, but they also said Levine denied any wrongdoing at the time and authorities did not contact them further.

The New York Post was the first media outlet to publish a story about these allegations Saturday.

"We are deeply disturbed by the news articles that are being published online today about James Levine," the company tweeted Saturday. "We are working on an investigation [with] outside resources to determine whether charges of sexual misconduct in the 1980s are true, so that we can take appropriate action."

Levine, who is 74, was the Met's music director from 1976 until April 2016. He now serves as the Met's music director emeritus.

Levine has not publicly commented this weekend on the media reports or the Met's investigation into his alleged misconduct.