Renowned opera singer David Daniels and his husband, Scott Walters, have pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting another singer in Houston. They were charged in 2019 after Samuel Schultz filed a complaint alleging that they assaulted him in 2010. Daniels and Walters pleaded guilty to sexual assault of an adult and were sentenced to eight years' probation, as well as being required to register as sex offenders. Daniels had previously faced sexual assault allegations in 2018, resulting in his firing from the University of Michigan and removal from a San Francisco Opera production.
Russian soprano Anna Netrebko is suing the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for $360,000 in damages after being dropped from future performances following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Netrebko, who had previously supported President Vladimir Putin, condemned the invasion under pressure from the Met. She alleges defamation, breach of contract, and other violations, claiming that the Met caused her "severe mental anguish and emotional distress." The opera house has responded, stating that the lawsuit has no merit. Netrebko had previously filed a complaint through the American Guild of Musical Artists, which ruled in her favor and awarded her compensation. She has since performed elsewhere and has upcoming performances scheduled in various cities.
Opera singer David Daniels and his husband Scott Walters pleaded guilty to drugging and raping a young vocalist in 2010. Daniels now faces eight years of probation and must register as a sex offender for life. The victim, Samuel Schultz, expressed relief that the defendants acknowledged the truth of his traumatic experience. The plea deal was welcomed by Schultz's family, who acknowledged the rarity of justice for victims of sexual violence. Daniels had initially denied the allegations but faced cancellations of his scheduled appearances and lost his job as a tenured professor at the University of Michigan.
Grace Bumbry, one of the first African Americans to conquer the international opera stage, has died at the age of 86. She made international headlines in 1961 when she became the first African American to perform at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany. Bumbry pursued a remarkable range of roles in a stage career that lasted nearly 40 years. Her performance at Bayreuth notwithstanding, she did not consider herself a Wagnerian singer and said that the works of the 19th-century Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi were her “heart and soul.”
