Ashley Milanese

Hailed for her “masterful and show-stopping performance” (Opera News) and “complete, multi-faceted portrait in sound, eloquently uttered and beautifully voiced” (Opera Magazine), soprano Ashley Milanese recently made her European House debut in the 2018-2019 season with Teatro Regio Torino.

Ms. Milanese then joined Komische Oper Berlin’s touring production of Barrie Kosky’s Die Zauberflöte where she sang Erste Dame in Perth (Western Australia) Adelaide (Australia) and Auckland (New Zealand), and reprised the role at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival in New York City '19.

The New Orleans, Louisiana native was named winner of the 2018 Opera Foundation competition, receiving the Amber Capitol Scholarship and residency with Teatro Regio Torino for the 2018/2019 season. She was recently asked to join the Teatro Regio Torino Ensemble for the 2020/2021 season.

Ms. Milanese’s most recent North American performances include  Fresquita (Carmen), Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte) and Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Opera Philadelphia where she was an Emerging Artist from 2016-2018. She has also participated in summer festivals and programs including Wolf Trap Opera Studio (’17) and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (’15).

Passionate about contemporary music, Ashley  has collaborated with many composers including Kevin Puts (Elizabeth Cree), Missy Mazzoli (Breaking the Waves), Rene Orth (Mothers of Moses, 10 Days in a Madhouse), David Herzberg (The Wake World, The Rose Elf), Tobias Picker (Emmeline), David T Little (Dog Days), Daniel Schnyder (Charlie Parker’s Yardbird), as well as Nico Muhly (Far Away Songs).

Symphonic performances include operatic selections with the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic and Mainline Symphony Orchestra, Faure’s Requiem with Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Allentown Symphony Orchestra.

When Ashley is not performing she enjoys teaching private voice lessons and masterclasses. Ashley teaches a foundation rooted in Classical Voice which enables her students to strengthen their musical ear, free their natural artistic inclinations, and build a strong technique so they can feel secure and confident across all genres.

Ashley Milanese studied at The Juilliard School in New York City, followed by Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where she received her Bachelor of Music (‘15), Master of Music (‘17) and her Artistic Diploma in Opera (‘18).  Ms. Milanese studied under the tutelage of Mikael Eliasen and Marlena Kleinman Malas.