George Kok

George Kok was an operatic tenor, stage director and artistic director.

He became assistant artistic director (1990-1992) and artistic director (1992-1996) at PACT Opera at the Pretoria State Theatre.

Career highlights as a singer included the roles of Steva Buryja in the South African premiere of Czech composer Leos Janacek's Jenufa, as well as the title role in the South African premiere of Benjamin Britten's magnum opus, Peter Grimes. Much later he appeared with great success in Britten's final opera, Death in Venice, in which he portrayed the world-weary Aschenbach with subtle, but when necessary, empathic truth.

During his tenure as artistic director of PACT Opera, he also produced a number of successful musicals, The Sound of Music, Me & My Girl, Crazy for You and West Side Story.

Kok died on February 20 2010, at the age of 66.

"SA opera great George Kok dies", IOL News, 2 March, 2010.