Jennifer Ashworth, Soprano

Jennifer Ashworth is a native of southern California, but moved to the Bay Area to attend UC Berkeley in 1992. She stayed to complete her Masters in Vocal Performance from Holy Names University in 2000. In that time she has enjoyed working as a soloist with some of the Bay Area’s choruses, such as the San Francisco Lyric Chorus, Volti, and VOCI. She began singing with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Chorale in 1993 and has been given several solo opportunities over the years.

Most of Jennifer’s musical time is spend in stage productions, with companies including Festival Opera, Berkeley Opera, Golden Gate Opera, Oakland Opera, San Jose Lyric Theater, Royal Underground Theater, Lamplighters Music Theatre, Teatro Bacchino, Pocket Opera, and the San Francisco Opera Guild. Her favorite roles include both opera and musical theater: Cunegonde (Candide), The Queen of the Night (Magic Flute), Josephine (H.M.S. Pinafore), Patience (Patience), Marie (Daughter of the Regiment), Lily (Secret Garden), Magnolia (Showboat), Mimi (La boheme), Yum-yum (Mikado), Mabel (Pirates of Penzance).

Jennifer began work as a teaching artist with the San Francisco Opera Guild in 2003, singing for Opera á la Carte, a program that brings opera to school children aged 9-18. The following year she was approached by the Guild to write an abridged version of “The Magic Flute” to take to grades K-3. The program, Sing A Story, has since expanded to include a version of “Das Rheingold” and “Hansel and Gretel.”

This year marks the creation of Jennifer’s new opera company: Presto! Interactive Opera for Kids.

When she is not on stage, Jennifer is the band director of the MAD Band, an instrumental program for students 4th-8th grades at the School of the Madeleine. She began 12 years ago with 12 students, and this year the band topped 75 kids. The MAD Band performs at basketball games in addition to several annual concerts and community events.