Taxman reveals James Levine’s last pay check
mainIn the season when he was fired from the Metropolitan Opera, former music director James Levine was paid $936,755 through his company Phramus, tax records have revealed.
Levine was paid $1,827,615 by the Met in calendar year 2016, and $1,543,119 in 2017.
Both sides are still suing each other in a case that is staggering its way towards court.
Not too bad, especially when you consider other musicians’ paychecks.
The IRS releases form 990s, required of US non-profits, that usually show the 5 highest paid employees, 5 highest paid officers, and the 5 highest paid consultants; sometimes they use corporate names, as here. Many non-profits post these as a show of good governance, others can be found by using one of the many web tools for checking non-profits.
Long winded way of saying you can find out how much some singers and conductors and music directors make, if only you care to look. Some music directors get two salaries, one for conducting, one for being music director. It’s a fascinating world to delve into.
…Disgusting
No conductor is worth that; not even in expensive New York. The Met needs to lower its costs, lower ticket prices and get those seats filled.
It would help if the Met tore down the dated modernist house they’re in now and replace it with a more contemporary, smaller house.
Not only the Met, most orchestras in the US should lower their costs, especially the salaries of conductors and top executives.
start by lowering the costs of musician salaries
conductors usually demand 10x base salary
And what is the cost of a ticket?
Could be upwards of $300
Or as little as $35. In Family Circle.
He should have been gone 25 years ago.
What an UGLY thing to THINK, let alone to utter in a public forum!! I wanna throw up when I see such people talking!
Disgusting is right, especially in light of declining fortunes, fiscal and artistic, with no bottom in sight.
Gross !!!
“Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if you try”
Maestro Levine is one of the greatest modern (post-Bernstein, post-Kleiber) conductors and musicians. Not only, he is also an absolutely brilliant pianist, I am talking performing pianist. For those lucky enough to hear the Carnegie Hall “Anthology of the Song” concerts with Jessye Norman and Maestro Levine will never forget the sheer brilliance and musicianship of this unique collaboration! Levine deserves all the money in the world and the Met was right to reward M° Levine the way it did!
Kudos to Met for that!
Sorry, but he wasn’t hired at a pianist at the Met.
OK – so how much do you posters all earn ? Huh
Not sure why this is being discussed. Levine was always a fabulous musician.
How present was he in recent seasons? every time I tuned into a Met broadcast it seemed they were discussing his indisposition(s).
He was a disaster for the last 10 years!! Should have retired then. He brought down the morale at the Met and the performances suffered terribly as a result of his not being able to control his body. And I am talking NO BEAT AT ALL. Give me a break.
Well, that was certainly money well-spent.
lol