Originally from Hollywood, Florida, Ai Ra has burst onto the New York City classical music scene recently with Teatro Nuovo, City Lyric Opera, and the Lighthouse Opera Company, and more performing leading roles in Opera, Operetta, and Straight Play. Ever the advocate of new music, in the 2022-2023 season Ai performed The Bishop of Puebla in the East Coast Premiere of Juana by Carla Lucero and Ensemble in the premiere of Lori Laitman’s Uncovered. His New England Debut as Gastone in MassOpera’s immersive production of La Traviata was a critically acclaimed sold out run, and he then reprised the role with The Lighthouse Opera in The Bronx.
Ai debuted with Seagle Music Festival this summer, singing Roméo (Roméo et Juliette) and Padre Antonio (With Blood, With Ink), and looks forward to his debuts with St. Petersburg Opera and Teatro Nuovo in 2024. Ai is a proud graduate of the Florida State University, UMKC, and Northeastern University. Visit airatenor.com for more info.
As an educator, Ai has taught a variety of student populations including first generation college students. Their education at Florida State University included classroom management, extensive vocal pedagogy, and teaching voice lessons. In addition, Ai has taught classrooms of General Chemistry Laboratory and Professional Development for Biotechnology.