David Daniels Removed From San Francisco Opera Season Following Sexual Assault Allegations

San Francisco Opera today announced it is removing countertenor David Daniels from the role of Medoro in the Company's June 2019 presentation of Handel's Orlando. The decision to part ways with Mr. Daniels, for business and professional reasons, was reached after considerable deliberation given the serious allegations of sexual assault, an on-going police investigation and a lawsuit filed against the American opera singer. While these situations remain under investigation, San Francisco Opera is unable to present the artist on the War Memorial Opera House stage.

The Company will announce a replacement for the role of Medoro at a later date.

Daniels' career spans many performances of the title roles of Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Radamisto, Rinaldo, and as Ottone in Agrippina. Among his recent Baroque performances, Daniels sang with a "transfixing blend of melting sound and forceful delivery" (New York Times) in the Metropolitan Opera's inventive pastiche The Enchanted Island. Daniels, who counts Arsace as among his favorite roles to perform, has previously portrayed the clever prince at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Vienna's Theater an der Wien and with Glimmerglass Opera.