Mezzo-soprano Ashley Dixon is a Grand Finals Winner of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a former Adler Fellow with San Francisco Opera. She made her critically acclaimed debut with LA Opera in Roberto Devereux (Sara) under the baton of Eun Sun Kim and alongside bel canto veterans Ramon Vargas and Angela Meade. Highlights of her 24/25 season include covering Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City for and debuting with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra in Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été.
Last season, Ashley made debuts with Palm Beach Opera and the Boston Youth Symphony in Norma (Adalgisa), returned to San Francisco Opera for Die Zauberflöte (Zweite Dame), and joined the roster of Houston Grand Opera for the world premiere production of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Intelligence. On the concert stage she debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Elijah conducted by James Conlon, The Coastal Symphony of Georgia for Elgar’s Sea Pictures, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic for Mozart’s Requiem. In 22/23, Ashley made debuts with Amarillo Opera in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina), participated in the final workshop of Heggie’s new opera Intelligence (Elizabeth Van Lew), and embarked on a duet recital tour with her husband tenor Carlos Santelli. On the concert stage she made debuts with Erie Philharmonic in Mozart’s Requiem and Boston Philharmonic for performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Symphony Hall in Boston and Carnegie Hall, and returned to the Ravinia Festival for Beethoven Symphony No. 9 and Die Zauberflöte (Zweite Dame).
Recent engagements include debuts at Opera Louisiane in the title role of Bolcom’s Lucrezia, Hawaii Opera Theatre in The Tragedy of Carmen (Carmen), Festival Opera in Norma (Adalgisa), and Tel Aviv Summer Opera in Carmen (title role), and returned to the Ravinia Festival for La clemenza di Tito (Annio) conducted by James Conlon and San Francisco Opera for a Schwabacher Debut Recital.
Ashley made her San Francisco Opera mainstage debut in the world premiere of Heggie’s It’s a Wonderful Life (Angel First Class). During her two-year tenure as an Adler Fellow, she was seen in Carmen (Mércèdes), Rusalka (Third Wood Sprite), Manon Lescaut (Italian Singer), and Hansel and Gretel (Sandman). Ms. Dixon continued to perform amid the pandemic joining The Atlanta Opera for her house and role debut as Carmen, was also a soloist in San Francisco Opera’s Holiday Gala alongside Michael Fabiano and Sondra Radvanovsky, appeared as a featured guest artist with Opera San José, and joined West Edge Opera for Elizabeth Cree (Doris).
Ms. Dixon has cultivated a passion for French repertoire ranging from Baroque to Berlioz, with roles including Gluck’s Orphée, Cendrillon, Marguerite (La damnation de Faust), and Carmen. Additional roles in her formidable arsenal include the title roles of Ariodante, Giulio Cesare, and Angelina (La cenerentola).
As a two-year participant in the Merola Opera Program, she was seen in Gianni Schicchi (La Ciesca), Menotti’s The Medium (Mrs. Nolan), Walton’s The Bear (Popova), and ended her summer season on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House, singing an aria from Cendrillon as part of the Merola Grand Finale concert.
Ashley made debuts with Detroit Opera (née Michigan Opera Theatre) in Copland’s The Tender Land (Mrs. Splinters) and Ravinia Festival in Ravel’s Shéhérazade. She workshopped Laura Kaminsky’s Hometown to the World: Postville (Linda Larsen) and participated in San Francisco Opera’s “Opera for all Voices.”
Ms. Dixon earned her Bachelor of Music at the Louisiana State University and Master of Music at the University of Michigan, where she was seen in Handel’s Giulio Cesare (title role) and Heggie’s Dead Man Walking (Sister Helen Prejean).
AUGUST 2024
