BIOGRAPHY
Yazid Gray has been described as "a vocal chameleon" (Seen and Heard International) with "a baritone voice of fine quality and warmth" (onStage Pittsburg). Last season, he returned to the role of Fiorello in The Barber of Seville with Salt Marsh Opera and sang as a soloist with the Columbus Symphony in Daugherty’s Letters from Lincoln, a work he previously performed with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Gray also joined Pittsburgh Opera as Yakuside in Madama Butterfly and took home 2nd prize in the Rochester International Vocal Competition. Most recently, Mr. Gray was named a Career Development Grant winner by The Sullivan Foundation. Engagements for the 2025-2026 season include singing the role of Baron Douphol in La traviata with the Berkshire Opera Festival and returning to Pittsburgh Opera as Tommy McIntyre in Fellow Travelers, The Traveller in Curlew River, and Robin in the world premiere of Time to Act (Kaminsky/Manich).
In the 2023-24 season, Mr. Gray joined Arizona Opera as a Studio Artist where he appeared as Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette and as George Armstrong in Intimate Apparel. He also returned to Madison Opera as Ophémon in Joseph Bologne’s The Anonymous Lover and was a finalist in the Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition. On the concert stage, Mr. Gray most recently appeared with the New Mexico Philharmonic as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and in Handel’s Messiah with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.
A champion of new music, Mr. Gray recently debuted with Opera Montana as Homecoming Soldier in The Falling and the Rising. Other highlights include Madison Opera as Sam in Trouble in Tahiti, Glimmerglass Festival as Baloo in the world premiere of The Jungle Book (Sankaram/Rourke) and covering Cedric/Matteo in the world premiere of Tenor Overboard (Rossini/Ludwig), and several productions with Pittsburgh Opera including The Woodcutter/The Outlaw in the world premiere of In a Grove (Cerrone/Fleischmann), Policeman #3 in Blue, Soldier in Soldier Songs (Little), and Dizzy Gillespie in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird.
In summer of 2023, Mr. Gray joined the Opera Theatre of St. Louis in Treemonisha singing the role of Luddud and covering Zodzetrick, Simon, and Parson Alltalk, and also covering Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte. Other past roles include performing Le Dancäire in Carmen (Glimmerglass Festival, Pittsburgh Opera), Second Priest in The Magic Flute, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte (Pittsburgh Opera), Athamas in Semele (Pittsburgh Opera), Bello in La fanciulla del West (Maryland Lyric Opera), and Schaunard in La bohème, Zaretski in Eugene Onegin, Le Podestat in Le docteur Miracle, and Thomas Putnam in The Crucible (Opera Santa Barbara).
Mr. Gray has had a continued relationship with Chautauqua Opera since he made his debut singing Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia in 2019. He has since appeared as a young artist in the company’s digital season and as the baritone soloist in As the Cosi Crumbles: A Company Developed Piece.
Mr. Gray made his professional debut in the summer of 2018 as Charlie in Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers with Opera Maine. Also comfortable on the musical theater stage, Mr. Gray has performed roles such as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime, Jim Conley in Parade, Hunter Bell [title of show], and Al in The Most Happy Fella.
Yazid received his Bachelor of Music in Voice from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN and is a graduate of University of Michigan where he received his Master of Music in Voice. His academic credits include Oliver Jordan in the Michigan premiere of Dinner at Eight (Bolcolm/Campbell), Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette, and Demetrius in A Midsummer’s Night Dream.