James Levine Photo: IC

James Levine, the influential conductor of New York's Metropolitan Opera who was ousted in disgrace over sexual abuse accusations, has died at 77, his doctor said Wednesday.

Levine's doctor Len Horovitz told AFP the one-time classical music world luminary "died March 9 in Palm Springs of natural causes," confirming news first reported in The New York Times.

The Met Opera sacked its maestro of four decades in March 2018 after finding "credible evidence" that he sexually abused younger musicians.

Levine was one of the most prominent artists to see his career ended in the #MeToo era, a moment of reckoning especially in the world of media and entertainment, which was first triggered by furor over alleged abuse by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

The conductor was accused of preying on a string of vulnerable music students when he was a charismatic visiting instructor, with most cases dating back decades ago.

It marked a spectacular fall from grace for Levine, who became the Met's principal conductor in 1973 and music director in 1976, guiding it for more than 40 years. 

AFP