On October 17, 1937 he sang the role of Abel in the world premiere of Louis Gruenberg's Green Mansions with CBS radio.
The following year he returned to Broadway for the last time to portray Major Alexius Apieidoff in the acclaimed revival of The Chocolate Soldier.
In 1956 he portrayed Pandarus in the United States premiere of William Walton's Troilus and Cressida at the San Francisco Opera.
On March 25, 1954 McChesney made his debut with the New York City Opera as Herod in Richard Strauss's Salome with Phyllis Curtin in the title role.
He sang with the company for the next six years in a variety of roles, including Eisenstein, Malcolm in Macbeth, and William Marshall in Marc Blitzstein's Regina.
"Mac" spent 1966–1967 teaching voice at Yale University, substituting for Jack Litten who was on sabbatical in Germany.