Jay Dref staged operas with toy figures when he was a preschooler, and sang in a local production of “The King and I” at age 10 or 11.

“I really became serious in about sixth or seventh grade,” Dref said Tuesday about his ambitions to be a classical vocalist. “I knew I really wanted to pursue this.”

Now he gets his chance.

Dref, who graduated this year from Buffalo’s Academy for Visual & Performing Arts, won a $27,000-a-year Henrietta and Albert J. Ziegle Jr. Scholarship, which is targeted for area students accepted to The Juilliard School in New York City.

That accomplishment has made Dref a symbol of the resurgence of the music program in Buffalo. He sings at numerous school events, and Superintendent James A. Williams speaks often about his success.

Combined with a series of smaller scholarships — including grants from both the Buffalo and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestras — the Ziegle award will cover most of Dref’s $50,000 yearly cost.

“Juilliard was always a place I wanted to attend,” said the 18-year-old son of James and Edie Dref. “It was always on my mind. I love to perform. I love to entertain people. It just makes me feel great.”

Already, Dref has performed at Artpark, the Lancaster Opera House, Niagara University, Canisius College and the Theatre of Youth, and also in eight television commercials. This summer he will be a soloist at three outdoor Buffalo Philharmonic concerts.

Dref has won a host of competitions and was the first Buffalo Public Schools student in at least 20 years to be selected to perform in the all-Eastern chorus of the Music Educators National Conference.

“He’s excellent, and he just gets better and better and better,” said Mark Garcia, supervisor of music for the Buffalo schools.

Dref’s achievement coincides with efforts to bolster Buffalo’s music program, which suffered severe cuts during earlier budget crises.

The results are starting to show:

This year, 85 Buffalo students performed in all-county or all-state musical groups, compared with just 19 in 2005.

An all-city chorus, an all-city marching band and a summer school music camp for middle schools students have been established in the last several years.

A three-year, $1 million federal grant will be used to train music and art teachers.

But while Dref trained at a series of summer camps and workshops, and through private lessons with the voice chairman at the Eastman Community Music School, many Buffalo families lack the resources to offer their children private lessons.

Garcia’s “dream” is to expand the district’s music program to community sites during nonschool hours.

Those efforts could have great benefits, even if they don’t produce Juilliard-level musicians, Garcia said.

“The most important thing is the musical experience itself,” he said. “Being involved in music makes a person more well-rounded.”