“A small cast of superb vocal soloists...Hadleigh Adams giving strongly etched performances of Creon, Tiresias, and The Corinthian Messenger””

“....which contrasted sharply with the robustly masculine tone of bass-baritone Hadleigh Adams, who sang the roles of Creon, Tiresias, and the Messenger. All told, Hadleigh Adams almost stole the show in his three roles.”

“Hadleigh Adams brought an aggravating tension to the drama with his deeply cavernous and adrenaline-rich baritone”

“Other cast members take multiple roles, with Hadleigh Adams particularly effective as the vapid Duke, the condescending hotel manager, and the hypocritical judge who condemns and sentences the Duchess even while being pleasured under his robes. Adams handled the rangy role, from sleazy low glides to forceful, ringing top notes, with perfect detachment and sneer.”

“Her Duke, sung by baritone Hadleigh Adams, was a dark-voiced monster of callousness. Adams maneuvered the role’s wide range with confidence and ping. He was at his best when he donned the robes of the hypocritical judge, who enjoyed receiving fellatio from his assistant (and who matched his delivery of each note to his level of stimulation) moments before denouncing the Duchess for her licentiousness.”

“If this is what can be done in the arena of new music — this degree of vocal and theatrical magnificence, this level of fearlessness and artistic imagination — then why on Earth should we ever have to settle for less? Baritone Hadleigh Adams was a dynamo of precisely etched immediacy — most entertainingly as the trial judge who can barely restrain his prurient delight even as he condemns the Duchess’ erotic misdeeds.”

“Hadleigh Adams’s elegant baritone served as both duke and judges, compact studies in sexual hypocrisy”

“New Zealand baritone Hadleigh Adams... currently based in the US, his local reputation is assured with his combination of resonant voice, nuanced acting and drop-dead good looks. In the pivotal roles of the iniquitous Duke, Judge and unyielding Hotel Manager, Adams confidently delivered the goods.”

“ Just as impressive was Hadleigh Adams, who as Dr. Falke was a good match for Eisenstein in vocal heft and vitality as he sought revenge on his friend.”

“Hadleigh Adams was an elegant Falke, spinning his solo lines with feeling,”

“Adams’ solos, on the other hand, found just the right fit to the tone set by the choral movements...there was much to appreciate in his ability to work on a quiet and more introspective scale.”

“An Die Ferene Geliebte...was performed with the addition of the extraordinary baritone Hadleigh Adams, also a New Zealander. Here Mr. Adams lent perfectly tempered power and clarity,”

“Hadleigh Adams captured Guglielmo’s machismo with a gravelly, dark-hued
timbre. ”

“The highlight of Saturday’s concert, also by Brahms, “Liebeslieder Waltzes,” Opus 52, by soprano Hyunah Yu, mezzo-soprano Lauren Eberwein, baritone Hadleigh Adams and tenor Spencer Lang with piano four-hands with Fleisher and his wife Kathy Jacobson...The four voices were individually excellent creating a beautiful blend delivering the varying moods”

“Hadleigh Adams cut a dignified figure as the defeated Bajazet. He astutely infused his dark-hued timbre with nuanced dynamics and tone colours to convey his character’s emotional distress. ”

“New Zealand baritone Hadleigh Adams took the title role of this tragedy of passion and power. While born from maturity and experience, his Bajazet was a man sure of his own worth with a stunning voice, which was flawless in many ways.

He commanded the stage when he was on it and with a considerable maturity and mellowness of tone. His vocal achievement for me was a joy and privilege to behold as he transported us all to another time and place while facing the ideal of ‘death before dishonour’.

He was the only player on stage who seemed to me ‘exotic’, which was not about the way he was dressed but everything to do with his bearing; carrying himself with great dignity. Passionate with a depth of emotion that was palatable, Adams could impressively sustain the intensity of the colours in the bottom register of his voice, while excelling in both the middle and upper reaches of the arias he was singing.

He was truly noble.

Adams was Bajazet, a stand-alone character. What he achieved was entirely up to his own personal pursuit of excellence and his strength in performance was compelling to watch. This wasn’t about pride, but about the assured self-confidence he oozed from every pore.

What a formidable force he is. Younger singers would learn a great deal from observing his considerable grace and style of movement on stage.”

“The show-stoppers are baritone Hadleigh Adams (Zoroastro) and soprano Anya Matanovic (Dorinda). The audience tingled with excitement every time Hadleigh Adams stepped onstage, whether he was donning a Leather Daddy suit, a Santa costume, or a too-small pair of underwear and nothing else. Adams manages to use his gorgeous instrument with ease and beauty even as he is put under the strains of outlandish costumes or unusual staging. His movement is deft and cat-like, and his sound production never suffers even as he maneuvers the stage with the agility of a seasoned dancer.”

“A magical outsider (Zoroastro) who went from a leather-clad biker to Santa Claus to a drag queen, to a near-naked man...Hadleigh Adams was compelling in his costume changes and authoritative bass singing. ”

“However, it was the fluid and touchingly attentive performance by Hadleigh Adams as Schaunard which completely captivated me. It’s rare to encounter a Schaunard who can demonstrate so much genuine charisma and communicate so much compassion.”

“Adams is tremendous. The presence of Hadleigh Adams’s beguiling Jesus ensures that the arias and choruses become reactions to the life and death of an individual, rather than abstract expressions of devotion: after his solitary walk to his off-stage Calvary, we are painfully conscious of his absence.”

“In supporting roles, Adler Fellows baritone Hadleigh Adams (Marquis d’Obigny), soprano Erin Johnson (Annina), and mezzo-soprano Zanda Švēde (Flora Bervoix) have all deepened their portrayals, with Adams’ voice notably impressive.”

“ Hadleigh Adams‘ delivery of Billy’s final soliloquy from Billy Budd was so sweet-toned and poignant that it left a listener eager to hear him undertake the whole role.”

“As Nero’s stepfather, Claudius, baritone Hadleigh Adams had a delivery that was impressively full-bodied and bold. He has a gorgeous voice and performed with a confidence befitting an emperor. Moreover, he had a physical presence that was commanding and powerful and conveyed that, like Agrippina, Claudius is used to getting what he wants.”

“The undeniable standout of the afternoon was tall, dark, and handsome Adams, who brought to Kahane’s The Memory Place singing as idiomatic, convincing, and virile as did John Raitt to the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. He also succeeded remarkably in shucking his New Zealand accent. - After launching into Kahane’s “Underberg,” with a stylistic integrity and emotional identification that brought to mind the artistry of the young Joni Mitchell, Adams infused the final songs with rare vulnerability...The palpable honesty of his approach and the masterful beauty of his singing were irresistible.”

“Hadleigh Adams brought snap and flair to Les Mamelles’ antagonist, the Constable.”

“The Adlers did their usual fine service in other roles, especially Hadleigh Adams as Schlemil.”

“Maria Kanyova is outstanding, as are James Creswell as Pharisee and Adler Fellows Marina Harris as Tamar and Hadleigh Adams as Simon.”

“he has an overwhelming quality as if it emanates from the earth to encompass you with a suave, clean, smooth tone, with more than a little push to it.”

“The rôle of Pollux was famously sung in Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s pioneering 1972 studio recording of Castor et Pollux by the celebrated Gérard Souzay, who cast a poignant spell in his performance. New Zealand-born baritone Hadleigh Adams possesses both a stronger voice and a more extensive sense of Rameau’s musical style, however, and his Pollux sets a standard for secure, masculine singing of the part. This is a burly warrior who nonetheless wears his heart on his sleeve, and Mr. Adams’s singing of ‘Non, demeure Castor, c’est moi qui te l’ordonne,’ in which he cedes Télaïre to his brother, simmers with affection, both for Castor and for the fiancée whom he is willing to lose in order to preserve his brother’s happiness. After Castor is felled by Lincée, Pollux’s quest for vengeance is resoundingly conveyed, Mr. Adams’s performance of ‘Peuples, cessez de soupirer’ bristling with energy and testosterone. Mr. Adams launches Act Three with a beautiful account of ‘Présent des Dieux, doux charmes des humains,’ which he follows with singing of rapt involvement in ‘Ma voix, puissant maître du monde.’ Similarly effective is his voicing of the brief but marvelous ‘Tout l’Eclat de l’Olimpe est en vain ranimé,’ but the climax of the performance is the interview between Pollux and Castor in the Underworld. The sheer joy with which Mr. Adams sings ‘O moment de tendresse’ is indescribably moving”