Meet the Student: Q&A with Bass-Baritone Evan Gray

Bass-baritone Evan Gray, from Zurich, Switzerland, stars as Dulcamara in Curtis Opera Theatre’s production of Gaetano Donizetti’s hilarious bel canto masterpiece, The Elixir of Love (L’elisir d’amore). Mr. Gray entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2019 and studies voice with Mark Schnaible, adjunct faculty. All students at Curtis receive merit-based, full-tuition scholarships, and Mr. Gray is the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Fellow.

When did you know you wanted to become a classical singer?
The moment I knew I wanted to be a singer was during a choir tour with the Zurich Boys’ Choir, which I sang with for 12 years. I was 15 at the time, and my voice had changed half a year prior. The leader of the men’s voices, Konrad von Aarburg, stood next to me during a concert in Davos, and after the concert, he told me how much fun he had singing next to me and that I should put some thought into becoming a singer. I hadn’t thought of that as a possibility until that point, but as soon as he said it, I immediately knew that was what I wanted to do.

What have been some of your most memorable performances or academic experiences since you entered Curtis in 2019?
There have been a handful of memorable experiences, also many that were canceled due to the pandemic, but the two that stand out most so far would be a performance of Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise with my friend Elias Ackerley in the fall of 2021 and Così fan tutte (see photo to the right, with Sarah Fleiss as Despina and Evan Gray as Don Alfonso) which we performed at the Prince Theater [Philadelphia Film Center] in spring of 2022.

Tell us about your character in The Elixir of Love. What have you enjoyed the most about studying this role and having the opportunity to play Dulcamara?
Dulcamara is an utterly ridiculous character who honestly has very few redeemable qualities apart from the fact of, once more, just how ridiculous he is! In his act as a con man, he insults his potential customers, trips himself up in the sense of his own grandeur, and takes every opportunity to rip off Nemorino for everything he’s worth to sell him a bottle of “elixir” which is actually Bordeaux! His role couldn’t have possibly been better written, as it allows for such much creativity with word painting, acting, and just general over-the-top showmanship, and he provides the perfect spark of comedy that the show needs.

Click HERE to watch the On Stage at Curtis episode featuring Evan Gray, or click the video below.

What interests do you have outside of your studies?
I have very broad interests outside of music. I am a huge fan of anything fantasy. I’ve spent the past couple of months working through The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, a series of epic fantasy novels currently being written, and I have about 20 books waiting to be read when I get done with that. Furthermore, I am a member of my local Crossfit gym, “Fearless Athletics,” and try to work out three times a week, whenever my schedule allows. And finally, I love dogs! I have three big amazing dogs back home in Switzerland, and try to take dogs for walks through shelters or Doggy Style here in Philly.

Are there any particular roles or opportunities you’d like to take on in the future?
There are a lot of roles I want to do. I hope to be able to do “Figaro” from Le nozze di Figaro as soon as possible. I also can’t wait to do Leporello from Don Giovanni again, which I got to do this past summer with some dear friends at Saluzzo Opera Academy. It would be a dream of mine to one day sing Wagner, specifically the Dutchman, but that is very far away in the future, if at all. For now, I’m greatly looking forward to Dulcamara in Elixir and the King of Scotland in Ariodante.

CURTIS OPERA THEATRE: THE ELIXIR OF LOVE (L’ELISIR D’AMORE)

Music by Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto by Felice Romani

Friday, March 10, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.

Philadelphia Film Center
1412 Chestnut Street

Click HERE for more information.

Single tickets for The Elixir of Love start at $19: Curtis.edu. Subscription tickets are also available.

The Curtis Opera Theatre is generously supported by the Ernestine Bacon Cairns Trust, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and the Wyncote Foundation.

Photos of Evan Gray: 1.) Nichole MCH Photography 2.) Mr. Gray as Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte; David DeBalko