Vienna statement on Placido Domingo

The Vienna State Opera has issued this statement of its position:

With regard to the allegations of sexual impropriety on the part of Plácido Domingo announced in the media in mid-August and which are unrelated to the Wiener Staatsoper, the management of the opera house and the management of Bundestheater Holding see no legally tenable reason not to fulfil existing contracts with Plácido Domingo. Domingo’s planned appearances as Macbeth in October 2019 and as
Nabucco and as conductor of La traviata in June 2020 will therefore take place.

“I was very concerned when I learned of these allegations from the media. I am not in a position to judge the specifics and also do not want to play them down. At the same time, I will also not pre-judge Plácido Domingo. Austria is a state governed by the rule of law; the facts presented to date tell me that a) no charges or police investigation currently exist against him; b) the Los Angeles Opera, where unlike the Wiener Staatsoper he plays a role in the decision-making, has launched an investigation; c) the presumption of innocence applies; and d) we know of no allegations in our area of responsibility. Indeed, Plácido Domingo is valued both artistically and as a human being by all in this house. We shall therefore honour our existing contracts with Plácido Domingo,” explained Staatsoper director Dominique Meyer.