A charter participant in the WinShape Program and a would-be trumpet major when he arrived on the Berry campus in fall 1984, Michael Hendrick (89C) quickly changed gears and decided to pursue a voice major instead. This decision led to a lifelong friendship with Harry Musselwhite, his first voice teacher at Berry and an advisor to this day.

Finding His Voice

A charter participant in the WinShape Program and a would-be trumpet major when he arrived on the Berry campus in fall 1984, Michael Hendrick (89C) quickly changed gears and decided to pursue a voice major instead. This decision led to a lifelong friendship with Harry Musselwhite, his first voice teacher at Berry and an advisor to this day.

Though Michael continued to play the trumpet for the symphonic and jazz bands throughout his five years as an undergrad (going so far as to perform Pomp & Circumstance at his own graduation), his decision to change majors proved to be the right one. In the years since graduation, Michael’s career stature has grown as he has performed with leading opera companies throughout the United States, Europe and elsewhere in the world.

In spring 2007, Michael won acclaim from The New York Times for his debut performance at New York’s famed Metropolitan Opera House, where he stepped in for the ailing lead tenor to perform the role of Menalas in Richard Strauss’ 1928 opera, Die Ägyptische Helena. He returned to the Met in early 2008 to cover the title role in Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes. Other recent roles include the Stranger in Korngold’s Das Wunder Der Heliane, performed with the London Philharmonic. This spring, he spent six weeks in South America performing with Maestro Luiz Fernando Malheiro at the XII Festival Amazonas de Ópera in Manaus, Brazil.

Michael resides in Baton Rouge, La., with his wife, Nancy Hendrick, and their son, George. The couple met in 1997 during a production of Tchaikovsky’s opera, Iolanta, at Dicapo Opera Theatre in New York City. Michael (singing in Russian) was performing the leading tenor role of Count Vaudemont, while Nancy, a soprano, was a member of the company’s young artist program. They were married in November 1999.

You can learn more about Michael and view images of his performances by visiting his personal Web site: www.michaelhendrick.com. He is also featured in One Hundred Years of Service: The Berry Alumni Association, 1908-2008, written by Ouida Word Dickey (50C, FFS). Signed copies of Dr. Dickey’s book will be available at Alumni Weekend.

For more information about Michael’s recital and the rest of the Alumni Weekend schedule, go to www.berry.edu/alumni or call 800-782-0130.

http://www.berry.edu/alumni/accent/findinghisvoice.asp