About Entertainment – Magazine – Met’s conductor out for surgery

About Entertainment – Magazine –

Levine is the first US-born head of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

James Levine, conductor of New York’s Metropolitan Opera and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has temporarily stood down to undergo back surgery.

Levine’s immediate operation to treat a herniated disc has left the BSO looking for a replacement for the start of their season on Thursday.

The 67-year-old is expected to return to the podium in December.

Levine’s previous health problems have included the removal of a kidney in 2008 due to a malignant tumour.

In 2006 he suffered an injured shoulder after falling onto the stage during ovations, which left him sidelined for four months.

Replacements will have to be found for Levine’s upcoming commitments, including the Met’s staging of Tosca and a revival of Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier which begins on 13 October.