Seth McCoy, voice professor, dies

Seth McCoy, professor of voice at the Eastman School of Music and one of the nation's premier oratorio soloists, died on January 22 of complications from a long illness. He was 68.

McCoy studied at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College, before pursuing vocal training with Pauline Thesmacher at the Cleveland Music School Settlement and with Antonia Lavanne.

As an active soloist, McCoy appeared with the Robert Shaw Chorale and the Bach Aria Group, and was a soloist with orchestras in most of the largest cities in the United States. He sang under Erich Leinsdorf, Zubin Mehta, and Mstislav Rostropovich, among others. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1979 and also toured Europe, South America, North Africa, and the Middle East.

McCoy joined the Eastman faculty in 1982, after serving as a voice professor at the University of Michigan. In his lifetime, he was honored with the Marian Anderson Scholarship, the Artist Advisory Council of Chicago Oratorio Award, the Martha Baird Rockefeller Grant, and the Albert Schweitzer Medal for Artistry in Voice.

McCoy is survived by his wife, Jane Gunter-McCoy, and his mother, Pauline Jackson. Contributions in his name may be made to the American Diabetes Association and the Kidney Foundation.