WASLEY, Jason

Opera singer

Australian Tenor Jason Wasley completed a two year certificate in performing arts at Ballarat College of Advanced Education before receiving a scholarship in 1991 to attend Melbourne's Victorian College of Arts Opera Studio. He then worked with the State Opera before moving to London to complete the National Opera Studio Course. He later joined Glyndebourne singing the coveted roles of Morales in 'Carmen', and the title role in Eugene Onegin.

Winning the coveted Herald Sun Aria in 1993 Jason Wasley was able to further his studies in Europe. The following year he represented Australia in the finals of the Placido Domingo World Operalia Competition in Vienna. Jason then worked as an apprentice soloist with the Victorian State Opera, undertaking the roles of Sciarrone and the Gaoler from Tosca, Juan from Don Quichotte, Prince Tarquinius from The Rape of Lucretia and Robin Oakapple from Ruddigore.

After moving to Italy to study Italian at the Bertrand Russell Institute of Languages, Jason moved to London where he was accepted into the National Opera Studio. It was there that he studied and performed in the roles of Figaro from the Barber of Seville, Silvio from Pagliacci, Billy Budd from Billy Budd, Prince Tarquinius from the Rape of Lucretia, Sid in Albert Herring, Count in the Marriage of Figaro, Eugene in Eugene Onegin, Schaunard in La Boheme and Belcore In L'Elisir D'Amore. He worked for Glyndebourne Festival and Touring Opera Company performing in the chorus and covering the roles of the Second Prisoner in Fidelio. Patrocle in Iphigenie en Aulide, Morales in Carmen, the title role in Eugene Onegin, Otello, Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni.

Jason Wasley has also worked with the Welsh National Opera's education programme, which included performing Don Giovanni from Don Giovanni and Escamillio from Carmen. He performed the role of Boatswain in H.M.S. Pinafore for D'Oyle Carte, Figaro in the Barber of Seville for British Youth Opera, Peter in Hansel and Gretel for Clonter Opera and Belcore in L'Elisir D'Amore for Pegasus Opera company. He also did the role of Kullervo in the British premiere of Aulis Sallinen's Kullervo.

For Melbourne Opera company Jason Wasley performed Papageno in the Magic Flute in 2004, and Marullo in Rigoletto 2005. Working with Oz Opera he performed the roles of Marcello in La Boheme 2003 and 2004, Dancairo and Morales in Carmen 2005 and 2006. For Promac Productions he enjoyed the roles of Poobah in the Mikado 2004, the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance 2005 and Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore 2006.

In 2006 Jason Wasley moved from Baritone to Tenor and performed the tenor solo in Verdi's Requiem at the Melbourne Concert Hall with the Melbourne Chorale. That same year he performed the role of Don Jose in Carmen for Melbourne Opera. Following this he did Oedipus in Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex for Victorian Opera under the baton of Richard Gill. More recently he performed the role of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly for the Oz Opera 2008 and 2009 tour, and the role of Teacher in Australian Opera's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

This biography researched by Clare Gervasoni, July 2007, updated April 2009 with thanks to Angela Wasley.