Cleophas Adderley

Cleophas Adderley was born in
Nassau, Bahamas. He received his
elementary education at Western Junior
School and secondary education
at the Government High School. He
went on to study at the University of
the West Indies where he received his
L.L.B (Hons). He was called to the
Bahamas Bar in 1980.
Adderley also studied orchestration.
He tutored as a private student of
Nancy Patterson-Strelau at the University
of Miami, Florida, and studied
orchestral conducting as a private
student of Harold Glickman of New
City.
Mr. Adderley is a pillar in the cultural
development of The Bahamas. After
some 14 years working the field of
law, first in the private practice and
then as the legal advisor at the offices
of the Attorney General, he became
the Founder/Director of the Bahamas
National Youth Choir.
The Bahamas National Choir has
become one of the foremost Bahamian
cultural organizations representing
The Bahamas and entertaining audiences
nationally and internationally.
Diocesan Chorale director Andrew
Curry describes the choir as exemplifying
“all that is good, vibrant and
brilliant in music in The Bahamas – or
anywhere else for that matter.”
Mr. Adderley also serves as the Director
of the Senior Choir of the Parish
Church of the Most Holy.
Trinity, Founder and Director of
the National Choir of The Bahamas,
former Director of Culture and the
Executive Director of National Musical
Heritage and Research.
Mr. Adderley is also an accomplished
composer. He is the composer of the
first Bahamian grand opera “Our
Boys,” which is also the first opera to
have been written and performed in
the English-speaking Caribbean. He is
also the composer of the first Bahamian
Concert Mass, “Missa Caribe”.
Mr. Adderley has also produced
numerous commercial compact discs
of choral music. Additionally, he
produced and conceived the cultural
show for the Opening Ceremonies of
the 1995 and 1998 Bahamas Games.
He is a founding Board Member of
the National Art Gallery, a founding
Member of the Antiquities, Monuments
and Museums Board, a member
of the National Cultural Heritage
Commission.
Mr. Adderley is the recipient of many
awards, including the Distinguished
Citizen Award, the Charles H. Fisher
Award, the Men of Distinction
Award, Bahamas Government Silver
Jubilee Award, the Bahamas Association
of Artistic Performers Lifetime
Achievement Award and the Certificate
of Recognition for outstanding
work in the arts from the Gabriel
Mistral International Awards of the
Organization of American States.