Singer Spotlight — Greg Purnhagen
Over the past 32 seasons, Voices has cultivated a community of professional musicians who have captured our ears and touched our hearts. This summer, we introduce our Singer Spotlight series to get to know our singers and share the music that they love. First up, we chat with baritone Greg Purnhagen, a longtime singer and friend of Voices who has had an illustrious career in musical theater, avant-garde opera, and cabaret performance.
Check out our conversation below.
TJ: Hey Greg! Ready to do this thing?
Greg: Yes.
TJ: Cool. So let's start from the beginning: what inspired you to become a professional musician?
Greg: When I was growing up, I was exposed to a lot of music by my older sisters and we also had a piano in the house. I started playing by ear when I was three and became hooked on music. I also like to joke that Julie Andrews and my elementary school music teacher Maria Aqualina were responsible: through "The Sound of Music" and my school's ambitious music program, they both made me feel like singing was the best thing in the world. By the time I was getting ready to apply for colleges, I had non-music options, but I looked back on my life to that point and saw that music was the continuous thread. I decided to take the risk and follow my heart.
TJ: What were some of the non-music options you were considering?
Greg: French language studies and veterinary medicine.
TJ: Interesting. Would you consider yourself a Francophile?
Greg: Absolutely. I started language in third grade and culture was a big part of the program. I've maintained a decent level of fluency even though I don't get to speak it on a regular basis. That said, "J'adore la France!"
Greg Purnhagen performs Babalu-cy! The Art of Desi Arnaz.
TJ: So what struck me about your bio is how diverse your resume is. You've gone from musical theater to more avant-garde fare to working with Björk. How do you manage to perform in so many different styles?
Greg: I like to carry over what I can from genre to genre and support it all with a singing technique that allows me to feel at home. My voice has always been lyric, not dramatic, and I think it's a bit easier to move from one style to another. As a performer, you look for the human communication being conveyed and use it as a springboard, whatever the style.
TJ: You also do a lot of cabaret performances and you've been a bandleader for the New Xavier Cugat Orchestra. What excites you about cabaret and how does it factor into your music-making?
Greg: Singing in my native language, which I think allows for deeper connection. American Songbook repertoire was the first exposure I had to vocal music as a child, so I've always felt drawn to it. If you treat a cabaret song as an art song in terms of story-telling (which I think the best ones are), you can also bring some of that freedom to traditional art song rep.
TJ: If you were trapped on an island and had to pick three songs from the American Songbook to listen to, what would they be?
Greg: Wow. “Our Love is Here to Stay,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” and “Two for the Road.”
TJ: Nice. I'm familiar with the song by the Gershwins.
Greg: The others are by Bergman, Bergman and Michel Legrand, and Hank Mancini.
TJ: The Bergmans I know. They’ve got hits.
Greg: Many. You should check out Mancini's film scores. All very hip and the orchestrations are fantastic.
TJ: Great, I'll definitely take a listen. Final question, because I don't want to keep you too long: what has been your favorite experience with Voices of Ascension and why?
Greg: That's really hard to answer, because there have been so many fantastic musical moments over the years and I also had a hoot being the emcee at the Gala last fall. But, and perhaps it figures since I'm a Francophile, I'd choose the Duruflé Requiem because of the piece itself, Dennis's interpretation and the superb musical forces he assembles when it is performed. For me, the climax of the Sanctus is the supreme moment of the piece. It doesn't get much more transcendent than that.