Obituary: H. Wesley Balk, who helped develop American style of operatic performance - and, I might add, had an immeasurable impact on my own teaching. I read Wesley's "The Complete Singer-Actor" before going to teach at Syracuse in 1985, and found it profoundly insightful. Later, while at SU, I had a chance to meet Wes and observe him teach at the Manhattan School of Music. Still more recently, in 1998, Wesley came to U Arts with Ben Krywosz and Karen Miller, two of his colleagues at the Nautilus Music Theater. At the time, the physical effort of teaching was seriously compromised by his Parkinson's disease, but his mind was vibrant and alive, and the weekend was an unforgettable one for many of our students. His soul and his spirit live on in the many performers and directors he touched. I count myself lucky to be one of them.