James Levine to Undergo Surgery for Herniated Spinal Disc
Mr. Ronald Wilford, Chairman of Columbia Artists and James Levine’s manager has announced that Mr. Levine will undergo immediate surgery for a herniated spinal disc. The procedure necessitates withdrawing from his scheduled performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera.Mr. Levine has withdrawn from performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston on Tuesday, September 29 and Saturday, October 3 and from Carnegie Hall’s opening night performance on Thursday, October 1. Mr. Levine has also withdrawn from performances of Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera on October 6 and 10.
"All of us at the BSO are disappointed that Maestro Levine will not be able to conduct the Tuesday and Saturday subscription concerts in Boston and Opening Night at Carnegie Hall,” said Mark Volpe, BSO Managing Director, in a separate statement from the orchestra. “Our thoughts are with Jim and we wish him a speedy recovery so he can soon return to the BSO podium and the glorious music-making for which he is so universally known."
No word on whether Levine suffered an injury or why the surgery is so urgent. The BSO statement referred to "immediate unanticipated" surgery and said Boston Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor Shi-Yeon Sung will conduct tonight’s performance of Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Mozart’s Requiem with the BSO.
"Boston Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductors Julian Kuerti and Shi-Yeon Sung will split the program on Saturday, October 3, which honors Ann Hobson Pilot’s 40-year tenure as harpist with the BSO," it said. "Mr. Kuerti will conduct the first half of the program, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. Ms. Sung will conduct Elliott Carter’s Mosaic, for harp and chamber ensemble, Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane for harp and orchestra, John Williams’s On Willows and Birches, for harp and orchestra, and Ravel’s La Valse, with Ann Hobson Pilot returning to the BSO principal harp chair for this special occasion."
There's also no word on whether Levine is likely to miss more performances, but you have to assume this isn't a bounce-back-in-a-week kind of surgery. As Geoff reminds, Levine had a kidney removed in '08 and a rotator cuff tear in '06.
(Photo: Michael Lutch via BSO.)
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