Ashraf Sewailam

The New York Times hailed Ashraf Sewailam’s début at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall as a “stand out performance” and Opera News described his voice as “purring and velvety with an easily produced Ramfis-like top range with a majestic tone,” and his stage presence as “strong, mysterious and with mesmerizing intensity.” 

This season features Sewailam in the roles of Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Seattle Opera, Des Moines Metro opera, and recently both Bartolos with New Orleans Opera, Mustafa in L’Italiana in Algeri, Hakim/Driver in A Thousand Splendid Suns with Seattle Opera, Ferrando in Il trovatore with Pittsburgh Opera, and Mr. Castello in Ghosts at San Diego Opera. As director, Sewailam will head the new production of Rossini’s Otello at Central City Opera

Previous seasons, Sewailam was First Priest in The Magic Flute with The Metropolitan Opera, Colline in La bohéme with Seattle Opera, the title role of Maometto II with Washington Concert Opera, and rejoined Opera Carolina as Masetto in Don Giovanni. As a director, Sewailam headed Opera Louisiane’s production of Lucrezia.

A native of Egypt, Mr. Sewailam began his career as a Cairo Opera Company house soloist, where he performed many roles including Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Gaudenzio in Il signor Bruschino, Ramfis in Aïda, Palémon in Thaïs, and Sparafucile in Rigoletto. Mr. Sewailam has served as music director for Disney Character Voice International (DCVI) dubbing Disney productions into Arabic and performed several of the characters including Mickey Mouse and Ursula. He earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder.