Biography

Milan McCray is a soprano from Fort Worth, Texas. Milan has performed since early childhood years within various genres but began her classical music career as a vocalist in High School as a member and section leader of the Singing Girls of Texas at the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts (2015). Milan pursued a Bachelor of Music at Chapman University in Orange, California, between the years of 2015-2019. Milan has won many awards both within the United States and Europe for her vocal ability. In 2015, Milan won first place in the classical voice division of the NAACP’s Afro Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics (ACTSO). Milan went on to win awards in Europe for her vocal ability as well. In 2017, Milan won first place in the Schloss-Mirabell vocal competition in Salzburg, Austria, and the following year (2018) received fourth place in the Meister singer Vocal competition in Graz, Austria held by the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS). Her previous roles include Principessa in Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Florence in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring, and many more solo features in larger works. In 2019, Milan attended Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artist Vocal Academy. Milan enjoyed the city and program so much that she hoped to eventually return and continue working with the prestigious organization. Milan took a three-year leave from the arts(2019-2022), where she spent time in her home town of Fort Worth healing, and rediscovering her love of music. In October of 2022, Milan decided to move to Houston, Texas to continue pursuing her passion: singing. By day, Milan McCray is a property and casualty insurance adjuster, who spends her spare time performing with the Houston Grand Opera as a teaching artist, singing for multiple churches in the Houston area, and other organizations such as the Houston Ebony Opera Guild. She hopes to transition into performing and singing full-time soon. Though Milan has been a Houstonian for a short time, she enjoys the city, has loved her time with Houston Grand Opera, and hopes to continue spreading the joys of opera with Harris County.