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Susan Graham

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Susan Graham is an American mezzo-soprano, born in 1960 in Roswell, New Mexico, and raised in West Texas. She began as a pianist and sang in the church choir from an early age. After studying at Texas Tech University and the Manhattan School of Music she made her debut in 1985 at the Eugene Opera as Hänsel in Hansel und Gretel. In 1988 she was one of the winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Music and breakthrough

In her first years she became known in trouser roles, boys' parts sung by women, such as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier. Later she sang leading roles at, among others, the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, La Scala, the Opéra de Paris and the Vienna State Opera. She took part in world premieres of contemporary operas, including Dead Man Walking by Jake Heggie, in which she sang Sister Helen Prejean. In 2004 she won a Grammy Award for best classical vocal performance.

Influence

Graham is known as an advocate of French song. Her recordings include Berlioz, Ravel and Britten alongside Songs of Ned Rorem and La Belle Époque: The Songs of Reynaldo Hahn. Her voice has a warm, dark colour and a clear, natural articulation, so that both the great opera roles and the intimate songs are shown to good advantage. She shows how classical repertoire can stay close to the word and the story.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a recording of Les Nuits d’été and notice how Graham sings Berlioz's long melodic lines, with great attention to the pronunciation of the French.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists