Ashley Pearson is a London‑based director and librettist dedicated to reframing the operatic canon for contemporary audiences.  She champions bold, collaborative storytelling and is passionate about nurturing emerging talent.

Directing highlights include Ballo in Maschera, Cavalleria  Rusticana / Pagliacci, Don Giovanni, Cinderella, and La  Traviata (Opera on Location); Così  fan  tutte, Orpheus in the Underworld, and Die  Zauberflöte (St Paul’s Opera); and scenes for the Royal College of Music and Morely College.  Ashley is the Artistic Director of St Paul’s Opera and co-founder of Warehouse Opera.

Ashley has served as Assistant or Staff Director on Berenice and Macbeth (Royal Opera House); Les  Mamelles  de  Tirésias / Une  Éducation  Manquée (Royal College of Music); Don  Giovanni and Die  Fledermaus(Lyric Opera Studio Weimar); and Carmen, La Traviata, and Ulla’s Odyssey (OperaUpClose). She was Associate Director to Martin Constantine for English National Opera’s 2017 Opera Works programme.

As a writer, Ashley’s radical English‑language adaptations include Verismo (Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci), Cinderella, and La  Traviata (Opera on Location); Carmen (King’s Head Theatre, published by Oberon Books); and Music Oft Hath Such a Charm (OperaUpClose, UK tour). Her original plays include League of Youth, Coverage (Riot Act), and Mary, Mary (Theatre Mensch).

Ashley holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from East 15 Acting School and has furthered her practice at GITIS (Russian University of Theatre Arts), Powerhouse Theatre Festival, and Seacoast Theatre Centre.  Whether guiding performers in rehearsal or crafting new libretti, she remains committed to creating incisive, thought‑provoking opera that speaks powerfully to our time.

For HGO, Ashley directed the Offie‑nominated productions of Agrippina and Partenope.