CRS Barn Studio Artists:

Gary Edgerton Race, opera director and life-long educator, lost his battle with cancer at the age of 71 on March 17, 2021 in his Ormond Beach, Florida home, with his sister by his side.

Gary is survived by his sister Wendy Lettieri, nephews Nicholas Lettieri and Davis Lettieri (married to Amanda Lettieri), as well as many dear friends, mentees, collaborators, and students around the world.

Gary lived his life to the fullest with many adventures, building a national reputation as stage director, arts education consultant, occasional performer, teacher, writer, and speaker. Born January 31, 1950, he served as Interim Artistic Director for the national touring ensemble TALES & SCALES, as Director of the Martha Ellen Tye Opera Theater at the University of Iowa, as Director of Opera for the Cleveland Institute of Music, and as Artistic Director of Lyric Opera Cleveland. His thirty-some years of experience have included directing over 100 productions for regional companies including Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Ithaca Opera, Whitewater Opera, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and Utah Opera among others. In 1994 he made his European debut directing MADAMA BUTTERFLY for the Stadttheater Lueneburg in Germany. In New York City, he directed AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS at the Danny Kaye Playhouse. He has presented master classes in performance techniques for the Manhattan School of Music, Carnegie-Mellon, Cornell, Duquesne, Syracuse, and Miami Universities, Ithaca College, and the University of Maryland at College Park, among others. His programs have won several awards including a national “A+” award from the National Education Association. He authored the libretto for and directed ANGELS VOICES at the Kennedy Center, a multi-cultural opera about coping with death, for which he also served as stage director.

As an educator he has presented workshops on performance techniques in many colleges and universities including The Manhattan School of Music, Carnegie-Mellon, Cornell, Duquesne, Syracuse, Miami University, Ithaca College, Colgate, and the University of Maryland at College Park, among others. Gary had created and directed arts education programs for many opera companies, for Gateway to the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh and the National Symphony Orchestra.