Jeffrey Ray, Baritone
"Possessed with a rich baritone voice" wrote one newspaper music critic, and "the sterling voice of Jeffrey Ray" wrote another critic after hearing American-born singer Jeffrey Ray.

Mr. Ray is heard in both opera and concert halls throughout America and Europe. He made his European opera debut at Deutsche Oper, Berlin in 1997 and since then, he has been regularly heard with the Company. Recently,he sang in productions of The Magic Flute, Hänsel und Gretel, Madama Butterfly, Moses und Aron and The Cunning Little Vixen. In April 2002, Mr. Ray sang the lead role in Stephen Paulus’ opera The Three Hermits for the opening of the Madeleine Festival of the Arts and this year, Jeffrey Ray returns to Salt Lake City for the Utah Opera’s production of La Bohème

In past seasons, he made his debut with Opera Delaware singing the role of Marcello in La Bohème and as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with the Utah Opera; both roles he has frequently performed in Europe. With Deutsche Oper, Berlin he has sung operas of Mozart, Puccini, Gounod and as well as fully staged performances of J.S. Bach’s The Passion According to Saint Matthew. Mr. Ray made his debut with the Knoxville Opera as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia to comments of “Bravo, Figaro!” and he introduced into his repertoire the title role of Don Giovanni with Opera Grand Rapids. In Berlin, in addition to the standard operatic repertoire, he sang the role of Harry Easter in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene and in Munich was heard in a concert of Hindemith and Bach.

In the orchestral repertoire, Jeffrey Ray’s engagements have been highlighted by two appearances at the world famous Carnegie Hall; Handel’s Messiah and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem. Mr. Ray has also collaborated with Maestro Richard Hynson of the Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee where he was the baritone soloist for William Walton’s Belshazzar’ s Feast and where this season, Jeffrey Ray will sing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony. Following Milwaukee, Mr. Ray will make his debut at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center singing Messiah with The National Chorale.

Jeffrey Ray received his opera training at the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s prestigious program, Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. While in Chicago, he sang the title role in Gianni Schicchi, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Coppelius in Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Tobias in IOU Wedding (an English version of I Cambiale di Matrimonio). Soon thereafter, he sang the role of Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore with the Dayton Opera. With an extensive concert and opera repertoire, Jeffrey Ray made his debut at the Ravinia Festival in 1997 in a gala concert featuring works by Schubert and Brahms. That same year, besides his opera debut in Berlin, Mr. Ray also made his debut at the Aalto Theater in Essen in numerous performances of La Bohème.

Jeffrey Ray is the recipient of many awards and honors including those from the American Opera Society, the Chicago Union League and the American Berlin Opera Foundation.