Mark Ashmore was born in Birmingham and has a degree in Marine Biology. After three successful years as a biology teacher, he moved to study at the Royal Northern College of Music with Neil Howlett where he performed Sarastro The Magic Flute and the Mayor Jenufa. His roles have included: Don Basilio Barber of Seville (Opera North), Notary in Don Pasquale at Garsington Festival, Mozart’s Requiem in Canada, Four Villains Les Contes d' Hoffmann (IVAI Tel Aviv), Old Cossack Cheryevichki (Garsington Festival), Don Annibale Il Campanello di Notte (Les Azuriales Festival), Ceprano Rigoletto (Musik und Theater Saar), second Armed Man The Magic Flute (English Touring Opera), Colline La Boheme (Opera-on-a-Shoestring), Cold Genius King Arthur, Somnus Semele, Tempus The Return of Ulysses, Christus in Bach’s St. John Passion (Yorke Trust summer opera course) Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust, and Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (Shell International Summer School). From 2001-2003 he was on contract with Opera North , where his roles included Sciarrone Tosca, Count Manon, Dottore La Traviata, and Don Basilio Barber of Seville.

Whilst at college Mark won the Schubert Lieder Prize and was a finalist in the Elizabeth Harewood Memorial competition. He has studied at the National Opera Studio with Donald Maxwell, Gwynne Howell, and Martin Issep. He is now based in Scotland, and keeps himself out of mischief underneath old cars and in real ale houses.