She has performed at prestigious venues such as the War Memorial Opera House, Jordan Hall, Verizon Hall, and the National Portrait Gallery, collaborating with esteemed organizations including Opera Philadelphia, Washington Concert Opera, Opera Lafayette, Opera San Jose, Opera Grand Rapids, Early Music Now, and the Amarillo Symphony. Her repertoire spans a breathtaking range— from the Seikilos Epitaph to the traditional operatic canon to contemporary premieres—earning her a reputation as a passionate interpreter and captivating storyteller. An alumna of the Merola Opera Program, Wolf Trap Opera, and Opera Philadelphia’s Emerging Artist Program, Ashley is equally at home in traditional opera houses and on smaller, more experimental stages.
Chamber music and recital work are central to Ashley’s artistry. She has collaborated with ensembles like Dolce Suono Ensemble and Seraph Brass, toured with Curtis on Tour, and appeared in celebrated series such as Music From Angel Fire, Classical Movements, the La Jolla Athenaeum, and Music for Montauk. Her staged rendition of Italienisches Liederbuch with Mikael Eliasen and Dennis Chmelensky toured to critical acclaim, and her extended work includes collaborations with composers and instrumentalists to bring innovative new works to life.
Ashley’s talents also shine in smaller, smokier cabaret stages, where she has worked with The Bearded Ladies, Martha Graham Cracker, and Stephanie Blythe’s drag persona Blythely Oratonio. Known for her playful yet powerful stage presence, she brings her own flair to an eclectic repertoire, from Gershwin to Kurt Weill to Green Day.
This season she returns to work with Opera Philadelphia as Jeanette in L’amant anonyme, Dolce Suono Ensemble as the soprano soloist in Fang Man’s grand chamber piece Earth, and both curates and performs in the final edition of the East Passyunk Opera Project’s Love Notes cabaret series: Love Notes 4 Philly. Additionally, she will debut with the Main Line Symphony Orchestra performing excerpts from Puccini’s great operas Gianni Schicchi and La bohème, join Lyrica Chamber Music in a performance of works for soprano, cello, and piano, and collaborates with illustrious banjo player and composer Tony Trischka in a song cycle of Emily Dickinson text composed by the icon of bluegrass himself.
A graduate of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, Ashley’s operatic roles there included Tatyana (Eugene Onegin), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), and Jessie (Mahagonny: ein Songspiel), plus numerous recitals and orchestral concerts. Recognized with awards from the Gerda Lissner Foundation and Opera Index, Ashley continues to push artistic boundaries while enchanting audiences with her vibrant performances and boundless curiosity.
