James Levine, American pianist and conductor (died 2021)

James Lawrence Levine was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016, and wielded the baton for 2577 Met performances. At the end of his career, his reputation was tarnished by allegations of sexual misconduct. Levine denied the claims, but the Met found them credible enough to fire him in 2018.