About
Recent headshots by Doro Zinn
James Ley is an American-born tenor and graduate of the Juilliard School’s Opera Studies programme. A finalist in the 2022 Operalia Competition, he has been praised for his “pure tone and innocent expressiveness” and “lovely legato line and silvery tenor.”
Since joining the ensemble at Semperoper Dresden last season, Ley has performed Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Baron Lummer (Intermezzo), Arturo (Lucia di Lammermoor), and Jonathan (Saul) and in the current season, returns as Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), and Tybalt (Roméo et Juliette).
Recent operatic highlights include Váňa Kudrjaš (Káťa Kabanová) at Bayerische Staatsoper under Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Vaudémont (Iolanta) at Oper Bern led by Nicholas Carter, Ferrando (Così fan tutte) at Opéra National de Bordeaux and Gran Teatre del Liceu conducted by Marc Minkowski, and the Messenger (Aida) under Zubin Mehta at Münchener Opernfestspiele.
As an esteemed concert artist, Ley has performed Scriabin, Symphony No.1 with Danish National Symphony Orchestra under Fabio Luisi, Bruckner, Te Deum with Atlanta Symphony and Nathalie Stutzmann, Britten, Nocturne with Aarhus Symphony Orchestra under Christoph Koncz, Beethoven, Symphony No.9 with Opéra de Limoges and Robert Tuohy and Mendelssohn Elias with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunk under Howard Arman. James Ley is a regular performer of Handel, Messiah most recently with Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. He joined Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Edward Gardner at Edinburgh International Festival as Second Nazarene in Salome, recorded by Chandos Records.
In the 25/26 season, James Ley returns to Danish National Symphony Orchestra for Szymanowski, Symphony No.3 under Thomas Søndergård and heads to Nashville for a seasonal Messiah under Nathan Aspinall.
Ley is a former Opera Foundation scholar at BayerischeStaatsoper Opernstudio, with wider training at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence Académie, Salzburg Young Artist Project, and Internationale Meistersinger Akademie and he has participated in masterclasses with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Renée Fleming.
Reviews
Così fan tutte at The Juilliard School
“It might be difficult to empathize with any of the men in this opera, but if it were possible to feel sad about how the young men destroyed so much along the way, both for the women and for themselves, this single message alone could be heard most clearly when tenor James Ley sang “Tradito, schernito.” Ley was the perfect match for this role as he sang Ferrando with playfulness and a young heart. His voice drew in listeners based on its pure tone and innocent expressiveness. He was like a lamb is to a heartless wolf that is reminiscent of Mozart’s music when paired with Da Ponte’s libretto.”
Don Giovanni at The Juilliard School
“Don Ottavio, James Ley, was more convincing as an ardent lover than an earnest suitor. Although he can spin out lovely legato lines with his silvery tenor, the voice was truly exciting when it bristled with energy and passion.”
“Ley was most memorable as he sang ‘Dalla sua pace.’ His voice was projected with ease that allowed it to blossom into an array of beautiful overtones.”