London Philharmonic Orchestra

“At the opposite extreme was a young and immensely promising heldentenor in Michael Hendrick. He rode the often inhuman tessitura of the Stranger with courage and belief, singing and phrasing with real beauty, not just brawn.”
~ The Independent, Edward Seckerson

“Michael Hendrick’s valiant Stranger came good where it really counted, when he implausibly came back to life and blasted the King off his throne.”
~ The Times (London), Neil Fisher

“Michael Hendrick, a lyric rather than a heroic tenor, delivered a sensitive account of the Stranger’s role, coming into his own when the orchestra was more restrained in the final act.”
~ Evening Standard, Barry Millington

“Strauss’s strenuous tenor parts such as Bacchus, the Kaiser, and Apollo, also came to mind when considering the part of the Stranger. Its one of those long and high-lying parts that requires its singer to be heroic, romantic and lyrical all at the same time whilst singing at the extreme reaches of the voice. Pitched against some pretty lush orchestration it’s a beast of a part, and not as well paced as some of the Strauss roles either – Act one is almost continuous for the singer. Michael Hendrick managed pretty well under the pressure, and even if he sounded pretty strained in some of the more ecstatic moments he certainly managed as well as most tenors singing the aforementioned Strauss parts.”
~ ClassicalSource.com, Alexander Campbell

“… Patricia Racette engaged with the title role, Michael Hendrick threw himself at the demanding tenor role of the Stranger, and Willard White poured out his authoritative tone as the Porter.”
~ The Stage (U.K.), George Hall