NEW YORK (Reuters) – Opera singer Placido Domingo apologized to the women who have accused him of sexual harassment on Tuesday, after an investigation by the American Guild of Musical Artists concluded he had behaved inappropriately with female musicians.
FILE PHOTO: Opera singer Placido Domingo sits during an event at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, U.S., May 11, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
One of the most feted opera stars of the modern era, Domingo, who is Spanish, said in a statement he had spent several months reflecting on the allegations made by his musical colleagues.
“I respect that these women finally felt comfortable enough to speak out, and I want them to know that I am truly sorry for the hurt that I caused them,” he said.
More than three dozen singers, dancers, musicians, voice teachers and backstage staff have said they witnessed or experienced inappropriate behavior by Domingo towards women at different opera houses over the last three decades.
The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the labor union representing performers and producers in opera houses and concert halls across the United States, hired a former prosecutor last September to investigate the complaints.
The union announced its findings on Tuesday.
“The investigation concluded that Mr. Domingo had, in fact, engaged in inappropriate activity, ranging from flirtation to sexual advances, in and outside of the workplace,” the statement said. “Many of the witnesses expressed fear of retaliation in the industry as their reason for not coming forward sooner.”
Domingo, 79, said in his statement he now understood the women’s fear.
“While that was never my intention, no one should ever be made to feel that way,” he said. “I am committed to affecting positive change in the opera industry so that no one else has to have that same experience.”
The union did not immediately respond to a request asking for a copy of its report regarding the investigation.
Domingo had disputed the allegations when they appeared in news reports last year, forcing him to sever ties with some of the foremost musical institutions in the United States.
He resigned as general manager of the Los Angeles Opera and pulled out of performing the title role in Verdi’s “Macbeth” at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
The two opera houses did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Other opera houses around the world canceled appearances by Domingo, a tenor who turned baritone later in his career.
As one of the Three Tenors singing group, Domingo, Jose Carreras and the late Luciano Pavarotti helped bring opera to a wider audience with concerts around the world in the 1990s.
The union will announce plans in the coming weeks to prevent sexual harassment in the future, Leonard Egert, national executive director of AGMA, said in a statement.
“AGMA’s efforts to protect its members will not end with this investigation,” Egert said. “AGMA is calling upon all companies in Opera, Dance, and Choral concert fields to join an industry-wide initiative to positively change the culture.”
Reporting by Inti Landauro in Madrid and Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting by Maria Caspani in New York; writing by Andrei Khalip; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Bernadette Baum