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Levine Withdraws From Boston Symphony Season

BOSTON (AP) - Boston Symphony Orchestra music director James Levine has withdrawn from his remaining schedule this season because of illness.

The orchestra said Tuesday that "ill effects from a recent procedure addressing his ongoing back issues, further complicated by a viral infection," forced Levine to cancel the concerts.

The withdrawal affects the March 3-19 tour of New York and New Jersey. But the orchestra says all performances, including those at Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Kennedy Center, will take place as scheduled.

Illness forced Levine to withdraw from a second straight performance Friday.

Levine is also music director of New York's Metropolitan Opera.

He had back surgery last year and missed the BSO's 2010 summer season at Tanglewood. He's in his seventh season with the orchestra.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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