Margaret Jane Wray, a singer who appeared in both mezzo-soprano and soprano roles during her career, has passed away at the age of 62. A native of Texas, she made her operatic debut with the Houston Grand Opera and went on to be a Met Auditions Finalist in 1985 and to receive the Richard Tucker Award in 1989.
Ms. Wray made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1987 as Annina in TRAVIATA and went on to sing nearly 100 performances with the Company thru 2010. Her roles ranged from the Mother’s Voice in HOFFMANN, Inez in TROVATORE, Berta in BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, the Sandman in HANSEL & GRETEL, the Priestess in AIDA, and Helmwige in WALKURE to Gutrune, Ortrud, Santuzza, and Amneris.
She was a notable Sieglinde, though she never sang the role at The Met. Her career took her to Carnegie Hall, La Scala, L’Opera in Paris, and the opera houses of Munich, Berlin, Brussels, Toulouse, Frankfurt, Nice, and Seattle.
I saw her in several of her Met roles, and also as Hippolyta in MIDSUMMER NIGHT’s DREAM at Glimmerglass Opera in 1987.
In 2005, Margaret Jane sang the 3rd Norn in GOTTERDAMMERUNG with Seattle Opera. Her sister Norns were Ewa Podles and Stephanie Blythe, and Robert Spano was the conductor:
Oberon's Glade 