NEW YORK – John Macurdy, a bass who sang 1,001 performances at the Metropolitan Opera over four decades and created characters in notable world premieres, has died at 91, his wife said Wednesday.
Macurdy died of natural causes on May 7 in Stamford, Connecticut, Justine Macurdy said. His career included world premieres of Carlisle Floyd’s “Wuthering Heights” at the Santa Fe Opera in 1958, Hugo Weisgall’s “Six Characters in Search of an Author” at the New York City Opera in 1959, Abraham Ellstein’s “The Golem” at the City Opera in 1962, Samuel Barber’s “Antony and Cleopatra” on the opening night of the Met’s new house in 1966 and Marvin David Levy’s “Mourning Becomes Electra” at the Met in 1967.