James Levine

American pianist and conductor, a musical wunderkind. By age 32 he was the ultimate artistic director of New York's Metropolitan Opera, conducting more than 60 operas annually since his debut there in 1971. He was named principal conductor in 1973 and two years later, musical director. Heading a $70 million company kept him working 24 hours a day, less the four hours he needed for sleep. His hectic schedule included devising the Met's 200-plus performance calendar, deciding who will sing what and keeping temperamental stars happy, conducting rehearsals and performances, and acting as piano accompanist when divas such as Renata Scotto and Kathleen Battle did rehearsals. For this he made some $1 million a year, with little time left in which to spend it.

The son of a salesman in the garment trade and a former Broadway actress, Levine was the eldest of three kids. By the time he was two, young Jimmy could pick out tunes on the family piano though he spoke with a terrible stammer. Started on piano lessons at four, he become a soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony at ten, performing Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No.2. His mother used to make him stop practicing to go outside and play and his parents avoided totally the pitfalls of too much publicity for their young prodigy. In 1961 he enrolled in Juilliard School of Music in New York City. At 18, he was the school's first student ever to double-major in conducting and piano. Three years later he dropped out to accept the post of assistant conductor of the Cleveland orchestra, 1964-1970.

Since 1971, his housemate in his luxury Manhattan co-op apartment was Sue Thomson, a model and former oboist. Their steady relationship did little to dim his reputation for having a voracious appetite for sexual variety. A self-described "marathon talker", he was heavy-set, standing less than 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) and carrying over 91 kg (200 lb).