Hailed by Opera News as “delightful,” soprano Ashley Bell started as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus and has since performed as a soloist in the United States, Italy, Spain, France and Russia. Most recently, she made her debut with Seville’s Teatro Maestranza as Violetta in La Traviata, joined ABAO Bilbao Opera, covering roles in La Voix Humaine & Zemlinsky’s Eine Florentische Tragödie and originated the title role in the world premiere of Pedro Halffter’s opera Klara. Other 2022 engagements included Mimí in La Bohème with California’s Opera Modesto, Violetta in La Traviata in La Rioja, Spain & Soprano Soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with both Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid and in the Festival de Villafranca del Bierzo. Last year, as in-person performances resumed, she sang one of her signature roles, Elle, in a critically-acclaimed production of La voix humaine both at Spain’s Rioja Forum & Bay Street Theatre.  During the pandemic, Ashley produced & starred in documentary film Rival Queens featuring music from Maria Stuarda, which has won 20 awards in international film festivals including Best Documentary at Tokyo Film Festival.

In recent seasons, she made her Carnegie Hall debut as soprano soloist in Hadyn’s “Nelson” Mass and Schubert’s Mass in C with MidAmerica Productions, debuted as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly with California’s Townsend Opera, sang Mimí in La bohème with both Mississippi Opera and Natchez Festival, sang Donna Anna in sold-out performances at Bay Street Theatre, and debuted with New York City Opera as a principal artist in L'amore dei tre re. Other notable performances have included her debut as Gilda in Rigoletto with New Jersey Verismo Opera, Anna in Lorelei with Teatro Grattacielo, productions of Madama Butterfly and Dialogues of the Carmelites with Sarasota Opera, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Orchestra Filarmonica di Roma, Norina in Don Pasquale in Logroño, Spain, Violetta in La traviata with Mid-Atlantic Opera, Isabella Colbran in the premiere of Discovering Mrs. Rossini at the Sheen Center in NYC, and Musetta at the National Opera Center. 

Ms. Bell’s other projects have included the lead in Serrano’s zarzuela La Dolorosa with Rioja Lirica, soprano soloist in the Italian Cultural Institute & Basilica of St. Patrick Old Cathedral’s commemoration of the 175th Anniversary of Lorenzo da Ponte, Dorothée in the U.S. premiere of Offenbach’s La Bonne d’Enfant with Salome Chamber Orchestra, and Molpe in Choreo Theatro’s world premiere of Odyssey at the 92nd Street Y.

Ms. Bell is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Yale University & speaks five languages fluently. She is a recipient of Yale’s Browne Irish Performing Arts Award & a Scholarship Award at the Crested Butte Music Festival. Upcoming engagements include the title role in the American premiere of Pedro Halffter’s opera Klara at Harvard University and Cio Cio San in Madame Butterfly with Boheme Opera New Jersey.