Lebanese-American mezzo-soprano Melanie Ashkar is known for the “dark, rich color” of her voice (Harlem World) and her “delightfully expressive” acting (Classical Music Rocks). This season, she debuted with IN Series as Moll (The Cradle Will Rock) in a performance that The Washington Post called “dazzling.” She also debuted with Opera in the Heights in a favorite role, The Fox (The Little Prince), for which BroadwayWorld commended her “refined grace…blending elegance and emotional nuance into a truly memorable performance.” She takes on the title role in La Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein in a return to L’Opéra Comique de Washington after her debut there last year, for which she was hailed as “luscious-voiced” and “stealing the show” by Washington Classical Review. This summer, she returns to Tundi Productions for a full Ring Cycle, reprising her roles as Flosshilde (Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung) and Siegrune (Die Walküre) and covering Waltraute (Götterdämmerung).
In recent seasons, Melanie has made many role and company debuts, including with Washington Concert Opera as Suzy (La Rondine), with Opera Western Reserve as Mercédès (Carmen), with L’Opéra Comique de Washington as Métella (La Vie Parisienne), with Opera Southwest as Cathérine (Le Loup-garou), and with Winter Opera St. Louis as Adah (Naughty Marietta), for which BroadwayWorld named her “a deeply sensitive actress with a voice rich in dramatic subtleties.” She has also appeared with OperaDelaware and Opera Baltimore as Flora (La Traviata), a role she also covered at Virginia Opera, and reprised roles with Skylark Opera Theatre as Olga (Eugene Onegin) and with Pacific Opera Project as the Witch (Hansel and Gretel). She has performed frequently with New York City Opera as Gertrude (Roméo et Juliette), as the cover of Elf 3 (La Campana Sommersa), and as La Tierra (Los Elementos), a performance for which Operawire highlighted her “very rich mezzo.” Other favorite roles include Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Lucretia (The Rape of Lucretia), and Jo March (Little Women).
In addition to her opera credits, Melanie has been featured with the Canton Symphony Orchestra in a program of Gustav and Alma Mahler songs, the Arlington Chorale in the East Coast premiere of The Stranger, the Oratorio Society of Virginia in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle, the Chesapeake Chorale in Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, the Chesapeake Orchestra and the Northern Lights Music Festival in a program of Bernstein songs, and the Washington Opera Society in venues across the DC metro area.
Prior to the pandemic, Melanie completed a two-year residency at Utah Opera, where she appeared as Clotilde (Norma), The Fox (The Little Prince), Second Lady (The Magic Flute), Ida (Die Fledermaus), and La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi) on the mainstage. She also premiered four short operas written by Michael Ching, Lisa DeSpain, Tony Solitro, and Jacob Lee. On the concert stage, Melanie appeared with the Utah Symphony as the alto soloist in their annual Messiah, and in various roles in their semi-staged Candide. Melanie spent two summers as an Apprentice Artist at Central City Opera, where she performed the roles of Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte) and La Madre (Madama Butterfly) and presented a half-hour recital alongside Tom Getty.
A strong supporter of new works, Melanie has collaborated with composers like Arnold Saltzman on his opera Geniza: Hidden Fragments, Marc Hertzman in chamber works with his Universal Opera Company, João MacDowell on his opera The Seventh Seal with International Brazilian Opera Company, Faye-Ellen Silverman on her oratorio A Free Pen, and Michael Spiroff, who composed the chamber work Metrical Charms for Melanie, which she premiered on her master’s recital.
Melanie has been recognized by the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Piccola Opera, the Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges Grant Awards, the National Federation of Music Clubs, and the Gerda Lissner Foundation. A Washington, DC native, she holds degrees from the University of Virginia (BA, High Distinction), Georgetown University (MS), and Mannes College (MM). She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.