Benjamin Werley biography

Benjamin Werley—praised as having a “gleaming, flexible tenor” (Opera News) —was first bitten by the opera bug while attending a performance of Puccini’s Tosca. He has been pursuing an operatic career ever since.

A graduate of the Jacob’s School of Music at Indiana University, Werley was one of twenty singers nationwide selected to sing in the semifinals of the 2012-2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in New York City. Afterwards, he participated in many prestigious young artist programs, including the Merola Opera Program, Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Prelude to Performance. He has also been a soloist with the Dayton Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, The Western Piedmont Symphony, and the Queens Symphony Orchestra.

In 2018, Werley returned to Virginia Opera, singing Lippo Fiorentino Street Scene, then made his Cleveland Opera Theater and role debut as Alfredo La traviata, and made his Central City Opera debut as Red Whiskers Billy Budd, also covering Captain Vere. 2019 marked his role and company debut as Canio Pagliacci for Salt Marsh Opera, a return to Dayton Opera for a New Year’s Eve Gala, and role and company debuts with St. Pete Opera as il Duca Rigoletto. The 2021-2022 season includes a Steans Fellowship at the Ravinia Festival, Nemorino L’elisir d’amore with Dayton Opera, a return to Don Ottavio Don Giovanni with Indianapolis Opera, Vaudémont Iolanta with Pacific Opera Project, and the tenor solos for Beethoven 9th with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Photo credit: Stephen Dillon