Ashley Chui: Rewriting the Future of Opera

Ashley Chui's mezzo-soprano voice isn't breaking glass, but glass ceilings. At 30, this Hong Kong native is shattering opera's stuffy stereotypes, blending powerhouse performances with leadership roles and creative ventures. Ashley's journey is a masterclass in ambition: a woman who turned teenage shyness into global artistry, fusing opera with modern pop and philanthropy to inspire future generations and make classical music accessible to all.

Discovering Opera

Chui's love for opera began at 15, when she saw a performance of Mozart's The Magic Flute by Opera Hong Kong. "That was the first time I actually got to know about opera—I just thought it was super cool," she recalls, enchanted by the Queen of the Night's aria, though her mezzo-soprano voice led her down a different path. "Turns out I'm not a soprano, so I can't sing that," she laughs. Fifteen years later, she performed as the Second Lady in the same production. "It was the first time I actually went to the opera, and now I'm singing in it," she marvels.

Raised in Hong Kong's traditional school system, Ashley moved to the U.S. at 15 to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy. The transition challenged her introverted nature. "I was kind of shy, so it took me some time to actually get out of my comfort zone and really start to enjoy performing," she admits. Unlike Hong Kong's disciplined environment, her American peers were "very outgoing" and unafraid to express themselves, pushing her to embrace self-expression. Her parents' support was key, encouraging her to explore music without pressure. "They were like, 'Why don't you just go to an art school and see if you like it?" she recalls. This unconventional support from Asian parents led her to a Bachelor's in Music at Manhattan School of Music, where she trained under renowned voice teacher Joan Patenaude-Yarnell.

A pivotal moment came when Patenaude-Yarnell challenged her to take bolder leaps. "She told me, 'Ashley, you have to stop being so scared,'" Chui recounts, quoting her teacher's advice: "Have you ever gotten heartbroken? I think it's time for you to try." This push to embrace vulnerability shaped her confident stage presence.

Overcoming Early Setbacks

Ashley faced hurdles early on in her vocal journey, facing discouragement from her first teacher in North Carolina. Undeterred, Ashley switched teachers. Her breakthrough came when she won 2nd prize at the 2013 Yokohama International Music Competition just a year later. "It boosted my confidence a lot," she says. Further accolades followed, including a special prize at the 2022 Ise-Shima International Singing Competition and a win in the Hong Kong division of the 14th Chinese Golden Bell Award. These achievements were hard-won—in the U.S., racial barriers complicated casting. "When it comes to casting, people still look at how you look, so your ethnicity is still a big factor," she explains. Limited diversity quotas led her back to Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she joined Opera Hong Kong's Young Artist Programme to reconnect with her roots.

Mastering Opera Roles

Ashley's diverse repertoire includes Dorabella in Così Fan Tutte, Franktik and Woodpecker in The Cunning Little Vixen, and Carmen in Bizet's Carmen, her signature role. "The first time I acted her was five, six years ago; I was still quite green," she says, initially viewing Carmen as "a very slutty person." Her perspective has since evolved: "As I sing her more and study this role more, I don't see her that way anymore. She is just a very passionate, wild girl who is always going after freedom." In 2025, marking Carmen's 150th anniversary, she's set for multiple performances.

Her recent performance in The Magic Flute as the Second Lady, in a modern train-station setting, showcased her versatility. "This production is very different from the previous productions that I've done before," she notes. While innovative, it drew mixed reactions. "A lot of people thought that it was cool; it was very creative. But there are also people who thought that this is too out of the box, and they couldn't understand it," she shares, embracing the risk: "It's always worth taking a risk when you create something new."

When playing dual roles, like in The Cunning Little Vixen, preparation is meticulous. "First of all, you have to learn the music well," she explains, studying each character's perspective to ensure distinct portrayals. Rehearsals are a highlight. "It's always fun for me to work with other cast members—a lot of times they're cast members from overseas, so I get to meet new people and learn from them," she says.

Beyond the Stage

Beyond the stage, Ashley's Master's in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University (2019) fueled her mission to promote arts and culture. "After I graduated from MSM, I wanted to learn about the behind-the-scenes of a production," she says. As Executive Director of the ICOA since 2016, she learned to navigate fundraising and promotion. "Going out to people and asking for money, it's very hard," she admits, but it sharpened her leadership and social skills.

Her entrepreneurial ventures, Jullitan Productions (2016) and CARA Vision Studio (2018) began as a side hustle. "I got a camera just for fun, and my musician friends just started to ask me to help them to take some headshots," she recalls. These businesses supported musicians and nonprofits, though she stepped back after returning to Hong Kong to focus on performing with Opera Hong Kong.

Modernizing Opera

Ashley's dual upbringing between Hong Kong and the U.S. informs her approach to opera, blending Eastern discipline with the West's creative freedom. "In Hong Kong, when people are opera singers, they really tend to just do opera…it's like, that's your identity and you've got to stick with it," she observes. Her decade in the U.S. introduced multimedia projects, inspiring her to diversify. "Because I was in the States for 10 years, I worked with a lot of multimedia artists, and we did a lot of cross-media projects," she shares. A January concert with pop artist Janees Wong and a Broadway actress drew new audiences. "The audience actually expanded because of this collaboration," she notes.

She's now developing a fusion musical with Janees, combining pop, opera, and musical theater. "We're trying to put elements of pop, opera, musical—different kind of singing styles to create a brand-new production," she enthuses, aiming to challenge opera's "boring, old-fashioned" stereotype. In Hong Kong, where pop culture dominates, she pushes for accessible programs to introduce younger audiences to classical music.

Looking Ahead

Ashley's 2025 is packed with performances, including a tour in Italy and a role in The Merry Widow with Opera Hong Kong. Her dream role is in Berlioz's Les Troyen, a lesser-known opera she hopes to bring to Hong Kong. "The music is so beautiful," she says, longing to expand Hong Kong's opera repertoire.

Her advice to young Hong Kong singers echoes her own journey: "Get out of your own comfort zone. Take a lot of risks…see the world." She encourages global exploration and learning from varied techniques and cultures. Ashley's multifaceted life, from singing, leading, creating to hobbies like sailing and tennis, is an inspiration to pursue passions with fearless creativity.