Winnipeg Soprano Ashley Boychuk has had music whisper to her in many forms since she was very young; developing her musicality through a touring school division choir, pursuing individual piano and voice lessons including entries into the various music festivals within the Manitoba, and finally making the choice to whisper back to music by packing up and moving to Brandon University for an undergraduate degree in voice performance. Prior to this experience, Ashley had been listening to all kinds of music, except opera. In Brandon, however, she ended up falling in love with opera’s grandiose scale, emotion, costumes, and performance energy. She also enjoys the opportunities to collaborate with other musicians either in an opera or a chamber setting, which is still one of her most cherished aspects of making music today.

Following Brandon University, Ashley decided to move back to Winnipeg and study at the University of Manitoba with the sensational coloratura Tracy Dahl, who helped Ashley to prepare for a masters degree at the University of Minnesota. Although not a major distance from her hometown, absorbing the arts and culture, opportunities, obstacles, and experiences of living in a different country was invaluable as well as a gigantic growing experience. In Minnesota Ashley had the opportunity to sing operatic roles with the Minnesota Opera Theater, work with exceptional coaches at the Minnesota Opera, and workshop new works with Grammy award winning composer and librettist Robert Aldridge and Hershel Garfine. Having attended a singing summer program in Italy the year prior to her masters, Ashley was checking off her ‘visiting-countries-to-do-list’.

However, Ashley decided she needed some distance from the education system as well as some time for creativity, thus returning to Winnipeg after finishing her master degree. During the past year she has been fortunate to sing with the Manitoba Opera, perform various concerts and collaborate with local musicians, continue her vocal studies, and work for the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts as a student services representative and faculty voice teacher. Working for the Conservatory has been quite humbling, for one sees first hand the labor of love when operating a non-for profit organization as well as continuously pushing the boundaries of what is possible when it comes to the community and music education. Ashley is especially devoted to her adult students who never cease to amaze her with their drive and passion. This past year her eyes have been opened to the city’s wealth of arts and culture. She is enjoying the diversity the Winnipeg music community and is impressed with the amount of Facebook invitations she’s received for independent music projects around the city.

Ashley continues to perform, teach, learn and looks forward to exciting opportunities to collaborate with Winnipeg musicians. She recently won the Orville J. Derraugh competition and will be singing a recital with collaborative pianist Lisa Rumpel on Wednesday, May 8 at 7:30pm at Westminster United Church. She is a firm believer in following your passion even if it’s different, difficult, or if you can’t conceptualize how it will happen. As the song goes, “People say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”