Jonathan Ray is very excited to return to LOKC to be a part of these exciting new works! Jonathan hails from Russellville, Arkansas. Jonathan holds a D.M.A. in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University, an M.M. in Vocal Performance from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a B.M.E. in Vocal and Instrumental Music Education from Arkansas Tech University. He serves as Assistant Professor of Music at Central Methodist University, as well as music director of traditional worship at First Baptist Church of Columbia. He is also artistic director for Landlocked Opera which he manages with his wife, Christina.
Jonathan has appeared with such companies as Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, The Lyric Opera of Kansas City (where he was an apprentice from 2017 to 2019), Heartland Opera Theatre, The Missouri Symphony, Opera in the Rock, and The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. His opera credits include many principal tenor roles in shows such as Così fan tutte, Roméo et Juliette, Die Fledermaus, La Traviata, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Béatrice et Bénédict, and Candide. Other recent engagements include the tenor solos in Mozart's Requiem in D minor, Stravinsky's Cantata, Orff's Carmina Burana, and Bach BWV 78 and 148.
Jonathan's directing credits include Die Zauberflöte with Landlocked Opera and Le nozze di Figaro and Die Fledermaus with Central Methodist. His appearances as music director and conductor include Le nozze di Figaro, Into the Woods, and Merrily We Roll Along with Central Methodist and The Murderess with Landlocked Opera and Opera Kansas.
When he isn't making music, Jonathan loves spending time with his beautiful wife Christina and their wonderful daughter Lucy.
