Ray Chenez is an American award-winning operatic countertenor and currently sings leading roles on the world’s most prestigious opera stages. Now he has launched a crowdfunding campaign to become the first countertenor to record a full-length broadway album, which he will take on an international tour – performing the songs in different male and female personas. The crowdfunding campaign runs through September 11, 2018.
Ray Chenez was born and raised in Lockport, NY (USA). Inspired by his middle school music teacher Connie Allison, he spent his youth singing in musicals. He began to formally study music at the State University of New York at Fredonia, where he became inspired by opera. In his second year of study, the late Delia Wallis helped him to discover his countertenor voice. In 2014, he received the George London Award, one of the most prestigious awards given to young opera singers in North America. Today he sings leading opera roles as a countertenor in theaters such as Oper Frankfurt, Theater an der Wien, Opéra National de Bordeaux, & the Royal Opéra de Versailles.
Now Ray Chenez plans to combine his talents and passions to produce an album of the music that first inspired him to sing – Broadway music – with his world-class countertenor voice. The inspiration for the project began when Ray surprised his agent at his 50th birthday party by throwing on a dress and singing Mary Sunshine’s song from Chicago. The guests erupted with enthusiasm and the idea for the project was born the very next day. The album and tour will be produced and organized by Ray Chenez’s agency located in Vienna: “Parnassus ARTS Productions”
“BroadRAY!” has already been featured on “Parterre.com,” & Modern Singer Magazine. The campaign has received 73 contributions from people in 9 different countries and is currently at 40% of the funding goal.
