Stephen Anthony Ray

Well friends, thanks to those of you that have been keeping up with this New York saga of mine concerning my vocal future. The Full Story is in.

As you already know, after auditioning in New York City, I have been invited and accepted to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. The Academy is a two-month program for advanced musicians that combines weekly lessons, master classes, chamber performances, and the performance of a fully staged opera (La Bohème) for an amazingly intense, professional level training experience. The Voice Program is staffed by some of the world’s foremost experts in the fields of voice, coaching, stage acting, and diction. It is headed up by Marilyn Horne, the world renowned mezzo-soprano whose career in opera spanned over forty years.

Now for the part you didn’t know. My second audition in that crazy week was at the Metropolitan Opera. It was really a double audition, partially for admission into the Lindemann Young Artist Program and partially for the National Council Education Fund.
The Lindemann Young Artist Program is a two or three year program which seeks the most talented young singers and trains them, using the Met’s vast resources, to become tomorrow’s most successful artists. The Education Fund is basically money that is given to past National Semi-finalists, Finalists, or Winners in the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions (which I did last March and made it to the National Semi-finalists) that is to be used for music-relates expenses, such as travel, a piano, recordings, scores, pictures, etc. You audition again at least six months after the last time you were heard, and if you have shown considerable progression, you will be given some money. Now that you know what I was auditioning for, here’s the news: I was NOT accepted into the Lindemann Young Artist Program. After having talked with its director, Lenore Rosenberg, she advised me that it was too early for me come into the program and that I should pursue Graduate School first. However, I WAS given some money by the auditions committee - $3000.00, the maximum amount awarded in a single audition.

So all in all, it was a wonderful experience. I got Santa Barbara, I got $3000 (which I can’t wait to start spending), and I got some invaluable feedback from Lenore Rosenberg and Gayletha Nichols (of the Met) that will help guide me into the right next steps for my musical career. God has been good!

Thank you all so much for your support and prayers. It’s great to know that I have so many wonderful people behind me, should I ever fall. God bless.

SRay