Wynnewood’s Paul Spencer Adkins has been one of the region’s most influential vocal teachers for five decades, writes David Patrick Stearns for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The 74-year-old is celebrating 50 years of instruction with a celebration concert at Bryn Mawr’s Church of the Redeemer on July 27. Alumni from across his storied career will join him in honoring a life devoted to the art of singing.
Adkins has coached more than 8,000 students, from Broadway stars to opera singers and aspiring shower soloists. His reach extended through two decades at the University of the Arts and a studio full with future stars. He has coached Amanda Jane Cooper from Wicked, Nathaniel Stanpley of Porgy and Bess, and Benj Pasek of Dear Evan Hansen to name a few.
Before teaching, Adkins was a trailblazing performer. He was one of the first Black tenors to headline roles in predominantly white opera companies. He won the 1981 Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition and helped shape Philip Glass’s CIVIL warS. Yet in a field still riddled with double standards, he often faced coded rejections.
By saying ‘no’ to roles that didn’t suit his voice, or values, Adkins preserved not only his instrument, but his integrity. Now, his legacy sings on through the many voices he helped discover.
Learn more about Wynnewood’s Paul Spencer Adkins and his legacy in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
