Michael Alan Nathan was born on August 13, 1960, in Louisville, Kentucky. His parents were T. Paul Nathan and Doris (Gutman) Nathan, and Alan had two older siblings, his brother Steve Nathan and his sister, Janis Nathan.
Though he only began playing the piano at age eleven, he quickly showed himself to be an exceptional talent, and just six years later, was admitted as a piano performance major to Indiana University. While at Indiana University, he made many lifelong friends, and discovered his love and talent for vocal coaching, as he was a regular pianist in the vocal studios of Virginia Zeani, Nicola Rossi-Lomeni, and many others. He was invited by tenor James King to travel with him and his wife, Elizabeth, to Europe as an accompanist. Thus began the beginning of a long and meaningful friendship, and Alan always saw James as one his most important mentors in life. In later years, they would perform a recital together in Cologne, Germany.
Alan's first professional job in opera was with Virginia Opera, and during this time he spent a season as a guest chorus master for the the Opera National de Mexico at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Alan then moved to Pittsburgh Opera, where he served as the chorus master. In 1992, he moved to The Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he served as Head of Music and Chorus Master. He had enormous success in Washington, D.C.; for example, his preparation of the chorus for Turandot received accolades from the German publication Opernwelt and the chorus he prepared for Boito's Mefistofele earned him acclaim in The New York Times. Alan also, with 24 hours' notice, successfully prepared and conducted Verdi's Otello. Additional conducting opportunities with The Washington Opera followed, as well as an invitation to conduct an orchestral concert at the Spoleto Festival in Italy.
In 1997, Alan moved to Cologne, Germany, where he served as Studienleiter for Oper der Stadt Köln. His daughter, Olivia Rachel, was born at the Krankenhaus am Weyertal in Cologne in April 2001. In the years that followed, Alan joined the faculty at Michigan State University as a Visiting Professor of Collaborative Piano.
Due to decreasing eyesight and other health issues, Alan was not able to play piano or coach in his final years, but he will be remembered by those that heard him play for the gorgeous tone quality of his piano playing (one conductor rightfully noted, "he makes the piano reduction sound like one is hearing an orchestra") combined with an intuitive, easy mastery of technique.
Alan loved to travel, and visited many European countries as well as China and many states in the United States. He was an avid reader, and was interested in many topics, but he especially enjoyed history, science, and art.
Alan is survived by his daughter, Olivia, of Denton, Texas, his brother Steve, of Muncie, Indiana, and many friends.
