Boston Symphony's Levine out 3 weeks for back pain

[March 23, 2010]  BOSTON (AP) -- Conductor James Levine (luh-VYNE') will miss the next three weeks with the Boston Symphony Orchestra because of continuing back problems.

The orchestra announced his absence Monday. Levine is the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York's Metropolitan Opera. He had surgery last fall for a herniated disk.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra says Jayce Ogren will replace Levine for the world premiere of Peter Lieberson's "Songs of Love and Sorrow" March 25 to March 27. Rafael Frubeck de Burgos will lead Mendelssohn's "Elijah" April 1 to April 3 in Boston and on April 5 at New York's Carnegie Hall.

Levine had surgery for a torn rotator cuff in 2006. His right kidney was removed in 2008 because of a malignant tumor.

[Associated Press]

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