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

Last season, Mr. Sewailam made his house début with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City in one of his signature roles, Dr. Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He also returned to New Orleans Opera as Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore and to Madison Opera as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni. In the summer, he returned to Central City Opera as Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia. This season, he joins the Royal Opera House Muscat and the Hungarian State Opera as Samman in the world premiere of Sindbad, and reprises Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera San Antonio.

In addition to his success in the traditional lyric bass repertoire, he has been lauded for his comedic timing and compelling performances in the Rossini and buffo repertoire, with role débuts as Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Mustafà in L’italiana in Algeri, and Don Magnifico in La cenerentola. Of his performance in the title role of Rossini’s rarely performed Maometto II, critics raved that he “blustered and raged with impressive force,” singing “unflappably, finding in Rossini’s musical obstacles aspects of a fascinating character who is too often portrayed as an insipid villain.”

Mr. Sewailam joined the roster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago covering Sulpice in La fille du régiment and made his house début with Des Moines Metro Opera as Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He returned to New Orleans Opera as Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro; to Opera San José as Sparafucile in Rigoletto; to Seattle Opera as Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia; and to Opera Memphis as Giove in La Calisto. In concert, he was the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Pro Musica Colorado.

Additional roles include Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with New Orleans Opera; Mustafà in L’italiana in Algeri with Tulsa Opera; Hakim/Driver in A Thousand Splendid Suns with Seattle Opera; and Ferrando in Il trovatore with Pittsburgh Opera. He has also directed Otello at Central City Opera and performed the bass solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the South Dakota Symphony.

Recently, Mr. Sewailam made his mainstage Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Zauberflöte and joined the company’s production of Ariadne auf Naxos. He returned to Seattle Opera as Colline in La bohème, joined Tulsa Opera for Salome, took on the title role in Maometto II for Washington Concert Opera, and rejoined Opera Carolina as Masetto in Don Giovanni. As a director, he led Opera Louisiane’s production of Lucrezia, and in concert appeared with the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra in performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Choral Fantasy. Engagements in 2020 were to include Carmen and Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Metropolitan Opera, Don Magnifico in La cenerentola with Minnesota Opera, and Ramfis in Aida with Virginia Opera. In summer 2021, he joined Opera Steamboat as Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Dr. P in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.

Previous engagements include Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Queequeg in Moby-Dick with Opera San José; Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with San Diego Opera; Colline in La bohème with Austin Opera; Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with New Zealand Opera; the title role in Ali Baba with Opera Southwest; Capitán in Florencia en el Amazonas with Madison Opera; Monterone in Rigoletto with Opera Grand Rapids, Toledo Opera, and Opera Carolina; Lignière in Cyrano with Opera Carolina; Ramfis in Aida with Opera Rockies; a recording of The Thirteenth Child by Poul Ruders; Der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte with Central City Opera; and Ferrando in Il trovatore.

In his début with New Zealand Opera as Sparafucile in Rigoletto, he was described as “hard to better, both vocally and dramatically.” He subsequently returned to sing Alidoro in La cenerentola, later repeating the role for Queensland Opera. Ashraf made his United States début in 2004 with Opera Colorado as Leporello in Don Giovanni, later returning for Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and the King of Egypt in Aida.

Mr. Sewailam made his New York directorial début with The Cunning Little Vixen for dell’Arte Opera Ensemble. Critics praised his direction as “thoughtful” (Voce di Meche) and “straightforward” (New York Classical Review).

Additional engagements include appearances with the Boston Symphony as Leporello in Don Giovanni, Colline in La bohème, Pistola in Falstaff, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, and the Narrator in Peter and the Wolf; returns to San Diego Opera for Ramfis in Aida, Leporello in Don Giovanni, and Pizzetti’s Assassinio nella cattedrale; the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance with Lyric Opera of San Diego; and Capulet in Roméo et Juliette in a co-production between Opera Carolina, Virginia Opera, Toledo Opera, Opera Grand Rapids, and Lyric Opera Baltimore. Additional roles include Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors; Angelotti in Tosca; Pooh-Bah in The Mikado; Escamillo in Carmen; Queequeg in Moby-Dick; the Secret Police Agent in The Consul; Sparafucile in Rigoletto; Ferrando in Il trovatore; Colline in La bohème; Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore; and Beethoven/Commendatore in Steven Stucky’s Pulitzer Prize–winning opera The Classical Style at Carnegie Hall.

Concert appearances include Orso Faledro in La nave, Uin-Sci in Leoni’s L’oracolo, and Salomone in Montemezzi’s L’incantesimo at Avery Fisher Hall; his Carnegie Hall début as the bass soloist in Rutter’s Mass of the Children; Mahler’s Symphony No. 8; and the bass solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Phoenix Symphony. Additional engagements include Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Handel’s Messiah, and performances with the Boulder Bach Festival and Colorado Symphony. His concert repertoire includes Bach’s St. John Passion, Magnificat, Christmas Oratorio, and Lutheran Masses in F and A; Handel’s Messiah; Haydn’s The Creation and Lord Nelson Mass; Mozart’s Requiem and Vespers; and Verdi’s Requiem. He has also recorded Ten Songs from the Hebrew by Stefan Wolpe on the Bridge label.

Mr. Sewailam began his career as a Cairo Opera Company house soloist, performing roles including Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Gaudenzio in Il signor Bruschino, Ramfis in Aida, Palémon in Thaïs, and Sparafucile in Rigoletto. He was named a prize winner at the Neue Stimmen competition in Gütersloh, Germany, and performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in Arabic at the opening of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. He has taught at the American University in Cairo and served as music director for Disney Character Voice International, dubbing Disney productions into Arabic. He earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado Boulder.