Robert Ashley may be either of two different artists - an American opera writer or an American video-games journalist and podcaster. 1. Robert Ashley (March 28, 1930 in Ann Arbor, Michigan – March 3, 2014) was a distinguished figure in American contemporary music, holding an international reputation for his work in new forms of opera and multi-disciplinary projects. His recorded works are acknowledged classics of language in a musical setting. He pioneered opera-for-television.