Hadleigh Adams

Bass-baritone Hadleigh Adams is a first-year Adler Fellow and graduate of the 2012 Merola Opera Program. The New Zealand native was a PWC Dame Malvina Major Emerging artist with the New Zealand Opera from 2006 to 2008, before relocating to Australia on a full scholarship to The Opera Studio - Melbourne, where he was awarded second prize at The Australian Singing Competition, and was a national finalist in the Opera Australia Young Artist auditions. Hadleigh forged a strong career as an oratorio soloist through Australasia, including performances with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, and the Wellington Orchestra. In 2010, he was awarded the Dame Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonygne scholarship and relocated to London to take up a full scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Here he studied under Rudolf Piernay, and Janice Chapman, gaining a Masters of Music with distinction. During his time in London, he made his debut with the Royal National Theatre in the role of Christ in Jonathan Miller's production of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. He has performed in recital at St Martins in the Field, and the Wigmore Hall in the Voiceworks recital series. In 2012, he performed in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Barbican Theatre under the baton of Stephen Barlow. Upcoming engagements include Pollux (Rameau’s Castor et Pollux) with Pinchgut Opera, and Luther (Tales of Hoffman), Simon (Mary Magdalene), Fox (Dolores Claiborne) and Officer (Barber of Seville and Barber of Seville for Families) with San Francisco Opera. In February 2013, he will perform the role of Claudio in Opera Omaha's production of Handel's Agrippina.