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Harriton Music Department Welcomes World-Class Opera Singer Paul Spencer Adkins

The Harriton High School Music Department recently welcomed to their classroom Mr. Paul Spencer Adkins, a world-class opera singer, voice instructor and producer, who led the Rams’ concert choir through an engaging and inspiring vocal workshop.

Throughout his decades-long career, Adkins has compiled quite an impressive resume. He is the only American tenor to be named a winner in the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition (1981), and has toured the world, performing principal roles in Madama Butterfly, La Traviata and Faust. In his work as a voice instructor, his students have included Benj Pasek - one half of the Tony, Oscar and Golden Globe-winning songwriting team Pasek and Paul - whose credits include La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen. Adkins has also taught actor Nathaniel Stampley, operatic tenor Gregory Schmidt, and actress Amanda Jane Cooper, who has played Glinda in Broadway's Wicked.

During his time at Harriton, Adkins was able to get the young vocalists to open up and explore their potential as solo singers. He also had the following sage advice to share with the Harriton students and staff: “Technique is learning what to tell yourself so that you can repeat it without being told.”

The workshop with Mr. Adkins was sponsored by the Harriton Music Parents Association (HMPA).

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