Michael Pollock (tenor)
Michael Pollock (October 20, 1921 – November 8, 2003) was an American
Biography
Born in
Pollock appeared as a character tenor in numerous NYCO productions up through 1956, notably creating roles in the world premieres of David Tamkin's The Dybbuk (1951) and Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land (1954). He also sang with the company in the United States premieres of Gottfried von Einem's The Trial (1953), Frank Martin's Der Sturm (1956), and Carl Orff's Der Mond (1956). Other roles for him with the company included King Kaspar in Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors (1952) and Leo Hubbard in Blitzstein's Regina.[1]
In 1957 Pollock moved away from performance to focus on working as a stage director at the NYCO. He notably directed the NYCO's first mountings of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1957), Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti (1958, conducted by the composer), the first professional production of Mark Bucci's Tale for a Deaf Ear (1958), and the world premiere of Robert Ward's He Who Gets Slapped (1959) among others.[1]
From the 1960s through the 1980s, Pollock taught singing and directed opera theatre programs at various institutions; notably serving on the faculties of Florida State University and Indiana University among others. He died in San Diego, California at the age of 82.[1] and Illinois State University.
