“I wish such a robust voice program had been available to me as a young singer!” says Madeleine Gray, as she pores over her list of new ideas and initiatives as incoming chair of the Preparatory Voice Department. The mezzo-soprano comes with a rich background of performance experience ranging from singing The Witch in Hansel and Gretel to her critically acclaimed performances with the Washington National Opera as Mama Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana.

“As an active performer and experienced pedagogue, Madeleine has an ideal skill set to broaden our curriculum and raise the stature of voice program,” says Preparatory Executive Director Gavin Farrell (MM ’99, Percussion; MM ’01, Theory). “As we expand our offerings online and in Howard County, growth in the department will be key to ensuring our success in these areas.”

Ms. Gray will be joining a burgeoning Voice Department, with two successful summer programs and a number of talented young singers. One of her new pilot programs is Chorus+, a program that will give members of the Children’s Chorus Cantate a chance to sample private voice lessons. Ms. Gray is also developing workshops for acting and audition techniques for singers.

“There are a lot of talented young singers in the area, young people who really want to sing and sing well,” says Ms. Gray. “Peabody Preparatory is well-positioned to provide them with training and facilities that aren’t really available anywhere else. I’m excited to build on the excellent work already being done by the voice faculty and want to give students more opportunities to put their vocal skills into practice wherever they’re singing and performing.”

— Carin Morrell