Melanie
Ashkar
Schedule
Upcoming Engagements
Description
Melanie debuts with OWR as Mercédès in Carmen and performs an hour-long outreach version of the opera as Carmen.
Melanie Ashkar
Mercedes
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Description
Melanie sings the role of Adah in her WOSL debut.
Melanie Ashkar
Adah
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Description
Melanie portrays Metella in L'Opera Comique de Washington's inaugural production at the French Embassy in Washington, DC.
Melanie Ashkar
Metella
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Description
Melanie makes her debut at the Canton Symphony Orchestra in a program of orchestrated songs by Alma and Gustav Mahler.
Melanie Ashkar
Soloist
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Recent Highlights
Melanie Ashkar
Flora (cover)
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Fran Daniel Laucerica
Gastone, Alfredo
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Tags
Kyle White
Giorgio Germont (cover with performance)
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Melanie Ashkar
Flora
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Melanie Ashkar
Flora
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Marcelle McGuirk
Annina (cover)/Ensemble
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Aurelien Eulert
Chorus Master and Rehearsal Pianist
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Description
Melanie sings the Contralto solos in Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle in her company debut with the Oratorio Society of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA.
Melanie Ashkar
Contralto Soloist
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Description
Melanie performs songs by Leonard Bernstein in her company debut on their popular summer concert series.
Melanie Ashkar
Soloist
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Description
Melanie makes her first foray into Wagner as Siegrune in Die Walküre.
Melanie Ashkar
Siegrune
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Wendy Silvester
Waltraute, Fricka (Cover), Waltraute
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Tags
Description
Melanie sings Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette as part of NYCO's popular Bryant Park opera series.
Melanie Ashkar
Gertrude
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Joanna Mongiardo
Juliette
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Tags
Melanie Ashkar
Olga
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Elena Stabile
Tatyana
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Melanie Ashkar
Mlle Dangeville
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Annie Chester
Principessa di Bouillon (cover)
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Brian Wallin
L’Abate di Chazeuil
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Faith Snyderman
Mademoiselle Jouvenot
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Melanie Ashkar
Mallika (cover)
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Véronique Filloux
Miss Ellen
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Theo Hoffman
Frédéric
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Melanie Ashkar
Catherine
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Melanie Ashkar
Catherine
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Melanie Ashkar
Catherine
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Melanie Ashkar
Catherine
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Melanie Ashkar
Catherine
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Melanie Ashkar
Catherine
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Melanie Ashkar
Mother
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Melanie Ashkar
The Witch
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Description
Melanie's appearance as Mercédès was canceled due to the pandemic.
Melanie Ashkar
Mercedes
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Melanie Ashkar
Alto Soloist
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Description
Melanie sang La Madre and covered Kate Pinkerton during her second summer as an Apprentice Artist at CCO.
Melanie Ashkar
La Madre
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Caitlin Crabill
Cio-Cio San
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Melanie Ashkar
Soloist
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Melanie Ashkar
Clotilde
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Melanie Ashkar
Second Lady
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Melanie Ashkar
The Fox
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Melanie Ashkar
La Ciesca
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Melanie Ashkar
Dritte Dame
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Véronique Filloux
Papagena
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Tasha Koontz
Erste Dame
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Biography
Lebanese-American mezzo-soprano Melanie Ashkar is known for the “rich texture” of her voice and her “delightfully expressive” stage presence. This season she makes her company debut with Opera Southwest as Catherine in Le Loup-garou and with Peabody Opera Theatre as Madame de la Haltière in Cendrillon. She also returns to Bel Cantanti Opera as Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors and to OperaDelaware and Baltimore Concert Opera as Flora in La Traviata. Last season, she debuted with Pacific Opera Project as the Witch in Hansel and Gretel and with Skylark Opera Theatre as Olga in Eugene Onegin. She also covered Mlle Dangeville in Baltimore Concert Opera’s Adriana Lecouvreur and Mallika in Washington Concert Opera’s Lakmé. In addition to her operatic engagements, Melanie presented recitals with the Montpelier Arts Center as a winner of their 2021 Virtual Classical Recital Competition and with Sparrow Live as a Resident Artist. Prior to the pandemic, Melanie spent two years as a Resident Artist at Utah Opera, where she appeared as Clotilde (Norma), Second Lady (The Magic Flute), The Fox (The Little Prince), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), and Ida (Die Fledermaus). She was also featured with the Utah Symphony as a soloist in Handel's Messiah and Bernstein's Candide. Melanie spent two summers as a Bonfils-Stanton Apprentice Artist at Central City Opera, where she performed the roles of Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte) and La Madre (Madama Butterfly). Melanie has been recognized by the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Opera Piccola, the Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges Grant Awards, and the Gerda Lissner Foundation. A Washington, DC native, she holds degrees from the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, and Mannes College, The New School. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
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