Lauded for her "soaring lyric soprano capable of heart-stopping soft effects” (Philadelphia Magazine), Italian-American Ashley Milanese is quickly emerging as an exciting young presence in the operatic world. In 2023-2024, Ms. Milanese joined Sarasota Opera as the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and made her company debut with Opera in the Heights as Mimì in La bohème, in which she was praised for her “luscious voice, velvet with impeccable diction” (Houston Press). Last season, Ms. Milanese covered the role of Gilda in Rigoletto with the Metropolitan Opera and sang Nedda in Pagliacci with Sarasota Opera, where she will also return in 2026 as Mimì in La bohème. This season, she will sing the role of Elcia in Mosè in Egitto with Opera Southwest, Serpina in La serva padrona with the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, and make her Opera San Antonio debut as First Lady in Die Zauberflöte.

 

In recent seasons, Ms. Milanese made her New Orleans Opera debut as the Sandman in Hansel and Gretel, joined the LA Phil with National Children’s Chorus of the United States of America as the soprano soloist in Britten’s War Requiem at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and joined On Site Opera as Giorgetta in Il tabarro. She also covered Johanna in Opera Omaha’s production of Sweeney Todd and joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera where she made her debut as Pit Singer - Soprano 2 in Dean’s Hamlet.

 

Ms. Milanese was notably part of Komische Oper Berlin’s touring production of Barrie Kosky’s Die Zauberflöte, where she sang Erste Dame in Perth (Western Australia), Adelaide (Australia), Auckland (New Zealand), and the Mostly Mozart Festival (New York City). Ms. Milanese also enjoys a long-standing relationship with Teatro Regio Torino, where she recently was seen in roles including the High Priestess in Aida, Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore and Annina in La Traviata. As an artist-in-residence with Teatro Regio Torino, she sang the roles of Ines in Il trovatore, Giannetta in L'elisir d'amore, Cugina in Madama Butterfly and Lisa in La sonnambula while also covering Elvira in L’italiani in Algeri and Carlotta/Vespina in Agnese. Additionally, she had the opportunity to perform as Annina in La traviata at the Ljubljana Festival.

 

Ms. Milanese’s most recent North American performances included Frasquita in Carmen, Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte, and Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro as an emerging artist with Opera Philadelphia. Additional operatic credits include Dede (A Quiet Place), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Italian Singer (Capriccio), Manon (Manon), Yvette (La rondine), and Soeur Constance (Dialogues des Carmélites).

 

Ms. Milanese has collaborated with many composers including Kevin Puts, Rene Orth, Tobias Picker, David T. Little, Daniel Schnyder and Nico Muhly. She has covered lead roles in the premieres of Lola in David Hertzberg's The Wake World and Bess McNeil in Missy Mazzoli's Breaking the Waves, and sang in Opera Philadelphia’s workshops of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (Chan Parker) and Elizabeth Cree (Mortimer).

 

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

 

Ms. Milanese participated in both the Wolf Trap Opera Studio and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis summer festival. She was named a winner of the 2018 Opera Foundation competition, receiving the Amber Capitol Scholarship and the residency with Teatro Regio Torino, and was a winner in the 2017 New Orleans and Puerto Rico district finals of the Laffont Competition.

 

Ms. Milanese studied at The Juilliard School and Curtis Institute of Music where she completed her Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and her Artistic Diploma.