With her sparkling voice and effervescent stage presence, soprano Ashley Emerson has been described as a "vocal and dramatic delight” (St. Louis Post Dispatch).  In the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Emerson reprised the role of Papagena in a new production of Die Zauberflöte at The Metropolitan Opera, made her role debut as Despina in Così fan tutte with Cedar Rapids Opera, debuted the role of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi with the New Jersey Symphony, and performed Shostakovitch Op. 79 with the Brooklyn Art Song Society.  Upcoming engagements include debuts with the Cleveland Orchestra and Kentucky Opera. 
  
In the 2021-2022 season, Ms. Emerson returned to The Metropolitan Opera as Papagena in The Magic Flute, as well as for their productions of Cinderella and Boris Godunov. Additional engagements during this season included singing Johanna Barker in Sweeney Todd with Opera Omaha and appearing as Rapunzel in Into the Woods at Holy City Arts and Lyric Opera (HALO).  During the 2020-2021 season, Ms. Emerson curated and starred in a web series for Kentucky Opera titled “Hoops and High Notes,” and performed a recital of Beethoven and Schumann entitled “Wife, Children, and Friends” for the Truman State University Lyceum Series.  In the shortened 2019-2020 season, Ms. Emerson returned to The Metropolitan Opera for her acclaimed portrayal of Papagena in The Magic Flute, and made two company debuts in familiar roles: Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Opera Omaha, and Flora in The Turn of the Screw with On Site Opera. In concert, she sang her first Handel’s Messiah (Part 1) with the New Choral Society. 
 
Passionate about empowering performing artists, Ashley serves on the Board of Governors for the American Guild of Musical Artists and has assisted in numerous contract negotiations between this Union and their signatory companies.  She is a registered Yoga Teacher RYT200, and is currently completing her Pilates Teacher Certification.   
  
Ms. Emerson is a graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera and subsequently has appeared in over 200 Metropolitan Opera performances.  Ms. Emerson further trained at esteemed institutions including the Marlboro Music Festival, the Verbier Festival and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist. Ms. Emerson is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine School of Music.