Voctave was formed by Jamey Ray, a Rollins College student-turned-music professor who attained artist-in-residence status at the college. But it wasn’t long before he became the functional equivalent of a rock star in the world of a cappella singing and began recording and touring full-time with the internationally popular, 11-voice ensemble.
Now, Voctave is preparing to celebrate a decade of dreams come true with Voctave: The 10th Anniversary Tour, slated Saturday, October 25, in Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center. Showtime will be 7:30 p.m.
Now, having accumulated an extensive catalog of chart-topping recordings, hundreds of millions of impressions on social media and several world tours (including a recent jaunt to Japan), Voctave will return home to present its acclaimed repertoire of Disney medleys, showtunes and holiday favorites.
But it won’t be just music that attendees will come away remembering, says Ray, who composes the groups trademark soaring arrangements and sings tenor. “Our goal is to create an experience for the audience by giving them a show,” he says. “[They] can expect to laugh, cry and everything in between.”
As if Voctave alone weren’t enough, Ray also promises surprises and special guests, the details of which were still being ironed out at press time (and may not be revealed before the show anyway, because—you know—surprise).
Ray, as a high school student, was recruited to attend Rollins by John Sinclair, director of the school’s Department of Music and now for more than three decades also artistic director and conductor of the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park.
Ray ended up graduating with a double major in computer science and music, specializing in two major instruments: voice and piano. He earned his master’s degree in music technology at New York University, then returned to join the faculty at Rollins.
From 2010 to 2024, he was the school’s head of music technology. He also taught theory and piano classes and directed the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. In 2015, he founded Voctave, which within just a few years had released a slew of albums and garnered millions of followers on such platforms as YouTube and Spotify.
“The vocalists elevate the art of singing, successfully marrying precision in tone and phrasing with emotion,” wrote the Orlando Sentinel’s Matthew J. Palm of a 2019 performance. “The vocal flourishes have a purpose; they suit the song rather than providing an opportunity to showboat.”
Dr. Phillips Center is located at 445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando. For more information, call or visit the website.
