“THE VIEW FROM THE STAGE”: the Tenor speaks … Print E-mail
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re-training took some time. To his great good fortune, after modest progress in three different studios, he began studies with Maestro Peter Gregg. The teacher-pupil "fit" was perfect, and so Maestro Gregg - who had worked closely with Mario Del Monaco Ikaia-Purdy with conductor/coach Steven Ollaand Enrico Rosatti - remained Ikaia-Purdy's sole teacher until his death during the spring of 2004. 

Early in this period of restudy, Ikaia-Purdy was invited to sing for "the truly great artist and good soul" Plácido Domingo. The encouragement of that great tenor, a former baritone himself, gave the younger singer inestimable reassurance that he was on the right road. Meanwhile the tenor had begun an association with Maestro Steven Olla, who in addition to being the conductor of his first tenor performances (in CAVALLERIA, RIGOLETTO and BOHÈME,) became and remained his principle coach and repertoire consultant - as well as a beloved friend - until his own untimely death in the Autumn of 2004.

... Dedication and Appreciation

And so, while he deeply misses the friendship, counsel and support of Maestros Gregg and Olla, he is secure in the knowledge which they so generously imparted to him over the years - and wishes therefore, in all humility, to dedicate his career to their legacy.

Ikaia-Purdy with Anna Marie FultonAnd, the tenor is likewise grateful to another recently passed friend, without whose support he would not have been blessed to build a career. "Because I came out of nowhere - from Hawaii and then the West Coast provinces just for a few years before I landed in Europe and Vienna and such - I never went through the patronage building process Mainland singers generally do. I don't have to tell you: it cost a lot to become a singer. So I worked - multiple jobs - so I could get to be a singer. And since I never did the major U.S. programs - like Merola or Chicago and the like, I never even came into contact with 'the whole patronage thing.' Mind, I am not complaining - but it is simply so: I worked to pay my lessons; to fly to auditions; and whatever else it took.... One friend, Anna Marie Fulton who was by no means rich - other than in life and spirit - insisted I let her pay my fare to take part in the Verdi Voice competition. I couldn't have gone otherwise. I went -and never looked back. But for Anna Marie Fulton - and her daughter Andrea! - I would still be doing computer processing."  So along with Peter Gregg and Steven Olla, Ikaia-Purdy has dedicated himself to being equal to the faith and generosity Ann Marie Fulton shared with him.

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