American tenor, Chaz’men Williams-Ali begins Season 2019/20 as principal tenor at Theater & Orchester Heidelberg, his debut season in the ensemble. Roles this season include Pinkerton Madama Butterfly and Florestan Fidelio.
Last season he joined English National Opera for the roles of Robbins and The Crab Man Porgy & Bess in their new co-production with The Metropolitan Opera and Dutch National Opera; following the London performances, he travelled to Amsterdam to appear in the roles there. He also covered the role of Edgardo Lucia de Lammermoor at ENO and appeared in their staged production of Britten’s War Requiem.
In the US Chaz took on the role of Lensky (c) Eugene Onegin at Washington National Opera and went on to Fort Worth Opera for revival performances of Robbins/Crab Man in the Glimmerglass Festival Production of Porgy & Bess, roles he inaugurated at the festival the previous season. At Opera Theatre of St Louis, Chaz’men sang a principal role in the world premiere Fire Shut up in my Bones by Terence Blanchard, following on from the great success of his previous opera Champion. He ended the season returning to Glimmerglass Opera to produce and perform in their sell-out Gospel Concerts.
Recent highlights include his return to OTSL as a Gaddes Festival Artist in their summer season covering Alfredo La Traviata and taking on the featured role of Jazz in the rarely heard Regina—the great success of the season--alongside Susan Graham and James Morris. He returned to Washington DC in April to sing Don Jose Carmen in concert with The Washington Chorus under the baton of Christopher Bell, and he made his Florida Grand Opera debut as Arturo Lucia de Lammermoor.
This biography is for information only and should not be reproduced.
Opera Theater of St Louis, Fire Shut Up In My Bones
June 2019
Her womanizing husband, Spinner (the bright-voiced tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali)...
The New York Times, Anthony Tommasini, 16 June 2019
Tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali is solid as the seedy wastrel Spinner.
Ladue News, Mark Bretz, 20 June 2019
...tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali is suitably charming-sleazy as Spinner.
St Louis Post Dispatch, Sarah Bryan Miller, 16 June 2019
The large, excellent cast also included Chaz’men Williams-Ali, a charming rogue as Charles’s father, Spinner...
Wall Street Journal, Heidi Waleson, 25 June 2019
Maryland Lyric Opera, Roméo et Juliette
July 2015
Lyrical doesn’t begin to capture to sublime beauty and suppleness of tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali’s voice as Roméo. Soaring throughout the Kay Theatre in almost every scene of the opera, Mr. Williams-Ali’s voice was a revelation throughout the evening, as in the tender duet “O nuit divine” with Juliette near her bedroom balcony, or in the deeply emotional duet of love and forgiveness with Juliette “Va! Je t’ai pardonné,” Mr. Williams-Ali gorgeously conveyed every emotion Roméo experienced with his voice.
DC Metro Arts, Jacqueline Lucas Wilson, 20 July 2015
Chaz’men Williams-Ali Opera Repertoire
| Bizet | Carmen (Don Jose) |
|---|---|
| Blitzstein | Regina (Jazz) |
| Donizetti | Lucia di Lammermoor (Edgardo) L’assedio di Calais (Giovanni d’Aire) L’elisir d’amore (Nemorino) |
| Dove | Flight (Bill) |
| Floyd | Susannah (Sam*) |
| Gounod | Faust (title*) Romeo et Juliette (title) |
| Puccini | Tosca (Cavaradossi) Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton) La boheme (Rodolfo) |
| Tchaikovsky | Eugene Onegin (Lensky*) |
| Verdi | La traviata (Alfredo) Rigoletto (Il Duca) Un ballo in maschera (Riccardo*) |
| Ward | The Crucible (Giles Corey) |
Chaz’men Williams-Ali Concert Repertoire
| Beethoven | 9th Symphony Choral Fantasy |
|---|---|
| Handel | Messiah |
| Mendelssohn | Lobegesang |
| Puccini | Messa di Gloria* |
| Rossini | Petite Messa Solanelle |
| Verdi | Requiem* |
Roles marked with * are currently in preparation. |
