Anne Gray, lyric soprano, is often praised for the rich warmth and beauty of her vocal timbre. She is an active performer in opera, oratorio and recitals, having performed with Opera Omaha, Opera Mississippi, and the Janiac Opera Company of Brevard Music Center. Her most recent performances include the title role in Suor Angelica with the Nebraska Opera Project and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at the University of Lincoln–Nebraska.
A native of rural Mississippi who grew up with little exposure to opera until reaching college, Gray is committed to bringing opera to new audiences and giving all members of the community an opportunity to discover this inspiring and entertaining experience. Seeing fifth and sixth graders completely engaged during a performance of Amahl and the Night Visitors (in which she played the Mother) confirmed that there is no age limit on the ability to enjoy opera.
Gray has a strong interest in working with contemporary composers to create new works. While at Brevard, she created the role of the Queen in the premiere of the opera The Moon Singer by David Liptak. Working with the Lied Center Grow-a-Show musical theatre workshop in 2015, she performed the role of Alice in the developmental musical reading of Skin and Bones (with music and lyrics by Ben Clark and book by Andrew Kramer). Other collaborations include Russian songs with Marat Sanatullov, the song cycle In this First Light by David Caudill, and Maombi na Sifa, Psalm 23 in Swahili with composer Daniel Baldwin.
Gray is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Her students have participated in NATS auditions at the state, regional and national levels, with many advancing to finals and several winning first place in their divisions. She holds a DMA in vocal performance from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. During her graduate study, she received the Pace Woods Graduate Award for scholarly and creative achievement.