Some people spend a lifetime searching for their passion. But when opera singer Hadleigh Adams heard Puccini’s famous aria Vissi d’arte at the age of 10, he knew he’d found his calling. His talent’s taken him around the world, but it’s fitting that it’s Puccini who has brought him back home to perform on New Zealand stages for the first time in more than a decade.
“I’ve sung all over the world, but being invited back for this feels like I’ve made it,” says Hadleigh, who’s starring in NZ Opera’s tour of La Bohème. “I’m very grateful.”
Equally thrilled by his brief return is his beloved mum. Cheryll, 72, who flew from her home in Palmerston North to join Hadleigh, 40, for the Weekly’s photoshoot in Auckland. The few months he’s spending here marks the longest period he has been in Aotearoa since moving overseas to study at 25.
Though she misses having her son nearby, Cheryll admits she always knew he would move away. His musical ambitions and talent were too great to be confined to our shores.
“From preschool, I knew he was going to be in the arts somewhere,” says the former nurse.
“I just wasn’t sure if it was going to be playing an instrument, conducting or opera.
Hadleigh began piano lessons at six years old, then learned the viola, violin, flute and bass trombone in the following years. Cheryll remembers a conversation with one of his high-school teachers, who admitted they hardly ever saw the studious virtuoso.
“We figured out he was out of class nine times a week with all his commitments,” she laughs.
“But he was still getting all his work done, so they weren’t bothered!”
Finding his voice and his place in the world
For Hadleigh, growing up gay in Palmerston North in the ’90s, music was an escape.
“I knew from a young age that I was gay,” he says. “I wanted safety – I found it in myself and also in music.”
While there wasn’t much opera in Palmerston North, it was only when Hadleigh left for university, he could finally pursue his passion. He studied in Auckland and Wellington before moving overseas to continue his musical education.
His big breakthrough came when he beat out a thousand applicants to become one of four Adler Fellows at the San Francisco Opera. The first Kiwi accepted into the prestigious two-year programme.
He fell in love with the city, which he still calls home, and forged a creative connection with the company that continues to this day. It offers him a sense of stability in an otherwise unpredictable industry.
“The uncertainty is difficult,” admits Hadleigh.
“But I think being a lawyer and sitting in the same office every day would be a hard life. There are highs and lows, but I’m grateful.”
A stage like no other
And there certainly have been highs for Hadleigh. Last year, he ticked off a major bucket-list item, debuting at the hallowed Carnegie Hall in New York. Opened in 1891, the iconic venue is a pivotal part of American music history, having played host to legends across the centuries, including Russian composer Tchaikovsky, Billie Holiday and Judy Garland. He still gets emotional as he recalls stepping onto the stage.
He says, “I was waiting to go on and the stage manager asked if I had performed there before. And I hadn’t. He opened the doors and said, ‘Mr Adams, welcome to Carnegie Hall.’ It was magical. I can’t imagine anything ever feeling like that.”
As he prepares to make his principal debut with the NZ Opera, Hadleigh says he owes a large part of his success to Cheryll, who balanced work with raising four children.
“Mum gave up a great deal when I was younger,” he reflects.
“She worked incredibly hard to pay for my music lessons. Every time I write her a letter, I say, ‘I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.’” Modest mum Cheryll will accept none of the praise.
“He’s become a wonderful empathetic and respectful person,” she beams with pride.
“It’s nice to see him succeed. It’s not just a job for him, it’s his passion. And he’s happy. What more can you ask for?”
Hadleigh performs in La Bohème by Puccini, playing in Wellington until Sunday, June 22 and in Christchurch until Sunday, July 6. Visit nzopera.com for tickets and information.
