But Mr. Levine was fired in 2018 after the company said it had found evidence that he had “engaged in sexually abusive and harassing conduct towards vulnerable artists.” In court papers, the Met accused Mr. Levine of inappropriately touching one of the young artists, and of trying to set up a tryst in his dressing room “to engage in sexual activity.” Mr. Levine’s lawyers denied the accusations. The dueling lawsuits between Mr. Levine and the Met were quietly settled this summer.

Mr. Nézet-Séguin said that while he did not want to comment specifically on “any individual cases,” he was consciously working on “a re-evaluation of what it is to be in power, and what is the correct way to foster a culture where everybody feels that they are respected and that they can develop.”

And he gave a hint of some of what he would be looking to foster in young singers — including individuality.

“I’ve done a lot of auditions, and obviously had a lot of casting discussions with my colleagues at the Met, and sometimes we’re finding that maybe young singers, it seems that they want to fit a mold that’s all already prepared,” he said. “And it seems sometimes that maybe at some point in their development, they’ve shut down their own personality.”

“Actually, it’s quite the contrary that I want for the operatic culture,” he added. “I think what the audience wants to hear is true personalities, people who actually have something very individualized to say, and have recognizable voices — and don’t necessarily fit in a mold.”