He has taught since 1963 at Columbia, where he is a professor of English and comparative literature, and has published on a wide variety of interests, from opera -- he is an accomplished pianist -- to Joseph Conrad.
Pollock's research interests include opera from the bel canto era to the present, twentieth-century concert music, and the politics of musical style.
He was interested in opera from the age of 15, and served on the board of the English National Opera for 20 years.
An internationally renowned performance and visual artist — who once covered his body in honey and sat naked in a Beijing public toilet while flies ate from him — Mr. Zhang had no interest in opera when approached by Linda Davies of the K.T. Wong Foundation, a sponsor of the opera.
Many readers suggested moments from opera.
The subject is of passionate interest to opera buffs, who want to know whether their favorite singers are coming back, who is out of favor, what works are being revived from long ago and which operas are receiving new productions.
The duo discovered they had a shared interest in opera.
"Well, I come from opera.
Tells how this began a new interest in opera.
