It’s official: James Levine has withdrawn from Cincinnati Opera‘s 90th Anniversary Gala Concert (June 19) and the season-opening production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (June 23 & 26). John Keenan takes up the Wagner duties and a roster of guest conductors fill in at the gala.

Levine is quoted as saying, “No one is more frustrated and saddened than I am to have to relinquish this long planned and much anticipated return to Cincinnati. However, my doctors advise that in order to make a full recovery from my impending back surgery I must be prudent about post-operative rehabilitation so that I may return to work in the best shape possible.”