Professor Ray has spent the better part of her career as a performer and choreographer before turning to education and directing.  She has been an educator in Wilson County for the last fifteen years, both part and full time, as a secondary theatre teacher and private voice and acting teacher.  Additionally, she has served as a board member and Chair of Secondary Schools for the Tennessee Theatre Association, Cumberland University Fine Arts Commission, Circle Players, West Wilson Fine Arts Commission.  Professor Ray is a member of numerous academic and performing associations including but not limited to; National Association of Teachers of Singing, Musical Theatre Educators Alliance, Southeastern Theatre Conference, and Educational Theatre Alliance.

Professor Ray holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa Al. with concentrations in Classical Voice and Musical Theatre. Her Masters concentrations are in Theatre Education from Cumberland University in Lebanon Tn. and in Musical Theatre Direction from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Id. Professor Ray is a member of Alpha Chi and Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Societies

Having been described by her last voice teacher as a “freak of nature” for her unusually expansive vocal range, Katharine Ray’s career has spanned from film, television and musical theater to concert and oratorio.  While in New York, she studied with renowned Metropolitan Opera soprano, Suzanne Marsee.  Katharine has performed throughout Europe with many world-class musicians and orchestras singing in both concerts and recital.  She enjoys an extensive career as a musical theatre performer, choreographer and director in Middle Tennessee.  Some of her favorite roles: Medda Larkin – Disney’s Newsies – Nominated for Broadway World’s Best Supporting Actress 2018 season,  Anita – West Side Story, Mrs. Lovetts – Sweeney Todd,  The Witch – Into the Woods, Lady Thiang – The King and I, Ursula, – Disney’s The Little Mermaid – winning Best Supporting Actress for 2016 season and Nominated for Broadway World Best Supporting Actress,  The Baroness – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Lily Craven – The Secret Garden- Nominated for Broadway World Best Supporting actress and which garnered her a nomination for one of Nashville’s most prestigious honors – First Night Top Ten Honor 2018.

Katharine is a full-time theatre teacher and director at Wilson Central High School where she has spent the last ten years growing and developing the program into one of the strongest in the county. They perform three main stage productions, four black box productions that include; 2- Nights of One Acts, A Night on Broadway, and the School Wide Talent Show.  Her Dual Enrollment course competes at Tennessee Theatre Associations One Act Festival garnering several accolades including Best Ensemble, Best Performance by a Supporting Player, Best Direction, All Star Cast Awards and several of her students have gone on to win scholarships for Technical Achievement and Performance. Graduates of her program have gone on to have successful college careers as well as breaking into television news reporting and more recently working with Marvel and Stranger Things Experience in Atlanta GA.