American tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali’s recent engagements include a debut concert with Chicago Lyric Opera Echoes of Excellence as well as his return to Washington National Opera as First Prisoner additionally covering Florestan Fidelio and singing one performance, his debut as Raymond Santana Central Park Five at Detroit Opera, and at Dayton Opera, where he sang Radames Aida throughout the rehearsal period covering for an absent colleague. He travelled to Mexico City to record the role of Narraboth Salome for the inaugural Lomeli Productions recording project. Future engagements include his return to Chicago Opera Theater for the first staged production of Kurt Weill’s Der Silbersee where he will sing the lead tenor role of Severin. He will also be returning to The Florentine Opera as Cavaradossi Tosca, and his role debut as Pollione Norma in a US company yet to be announced.

Past season highlights include Cavaradossi at Cedar Rapids Opera, the role of Nate Highway 1 USA in his Los Angeles Opera debut, Rodolfo La Boheme at Florentine Opera, his Metropolitan Opera debut as Zorn Die Meistersinger and Spinner (c) Fire Shut up in my bones, a role he inaugurated in the original production at Opera Theater of St Louis in 2019. He sang Narraboth Salome at Madison Opera, Rodolfo at Kentucky Opera and Der Prinz Rusalka at Opera Idaho, following his work as principal tenor at Theater & Orchester Heidelberg in Germany where he appeared as Pinkerton Madama Butterfly, Florestan Fidelio, Canio Pagliacci, Tebaldo I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Der Prinz. The artist made an international debut when he joined English National Opera for the roles of Robbins and The Crab Man Porgy & Bessin their co-production with The Metropolitan Opera and Dutch National Opera, roles he also sang in Amsterdam. At ENO he also covered Edgardo Lucia de Lammermoor and appeared in their staged production of Britten’s War Requiem.

Past engagements include Lensky (c) Eugene Onegin and his debut as Pinkerton Madama Butterfly at Washington National Opera; Robbins/Crab Man Porgy & Bess at Glimmerglass Opera Festival and Fort Worth Opera; he returned to OTSL for Alfredo (c) La Traviata and Jazz Regina—the great success of the season--alongside Susan Graham and James Morris. He sang Don Jose Carmen in concert with The Washington Chorus under the baton of Christopher Bell and made his Florida Grand Opera debut as Arturo Lucia di Lammermoor. At Glimmerglass Festival he also appeared as Giles Cory The Crucible and the following season sang Rodolfo La Boheme. Originally from St Louis MO the artist began his studies at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, went into Opera Theatre St. Louis Artist-in-Training program for two years, and then studied voice at the University of Iowa School of Music where he excelled in his many appearances in opera and oratorio performances including La Traviata, The Elixir of Love, and Romeo et Juliette. He made his professional opera debut in 2008 in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers with Cedar Rapids Opera; other roles include Ferrando Cosi fan tutte, Bill Flight, Cavaradossi Tosca, Edgardo Lucia de Lammermoor, Romeo Romeo et Juliette and Nemorino L’elisir d’amore. The artist has broad musical interests and lends his great talents to several genres, appearing professionally with a jazz ensemble alongside his drummer father, and in blues venues of renown in the US. He is also an experienced music director and conductor in smaller companies and has been known to appear as the Cowardly Lion The Wizard of Oz and in the title role Shrek, the Musical.