Susan Gritton

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Susan Gritton (born 31 August 1965) is an English operatic soprano. She was the 1994 winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award[1] and has sung leading roles in a wide-ranging repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Britten, Janáček and Strauss.

Life and career

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Gritton was born in Reigate, Surrey. She was educated at the University of Oxford and the University of London, where she studied Botany.[2] She sang with the Clerkes of Oxenford, Monteverdi Choir and Hanover Band Chorus.[2] Early on she was inspired by the singing of Lucia Popp on the Cunning Little Vixen recording conducted by Charles Mackerras.[2]

On the operatic stage, her roles include Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes (La Scala, Sydney and Tokyo); Blanche in Dialogues des Carmélites (Bayerische Staatsoper); Countess Madeleine in Capriccio and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin (Grange Park); Micaela in Carmen and Liù in Turandot (Covent Garden);[3] Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Bolshoi, Opéra de Montreal and Scottish Opera); Elettra in Idomeneo (Netherlands Opera) and Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Deutsche Staatsoper and Bayerische Staatsoper). Title roles include Theodora (Glyndebourne),[1] Rodelinda (Bayerische Staatsoper), The Bartered Bride (Covent Garden), and The Cunning Little Vixen (ENO).

On the concert platform her work spans many periods and styles and includes Ravel's Shéhérazade (RLPO/Mackerras); Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem (Berlin Philharmonic/Rattle & Philharmonia/von Dohnànyi); Berg's Bruchstücke aus Wozzeck (Swedish Radio Orchestra/Harding) and Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher (Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Pappano). Other highlights include Handel's Messiah (ROH Orchestra/Pappano); Elgar's The Kingdom (LSO/Elder); Shostakovich's Blok Romances (Nash Ensemble); Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri at the Edinburgh Festival (SCO/Norrington) and in Vienna (Vienna Philharmonic/Rattle) and Britten's Les Illuminations – including the world premiere of Britten's three additional Rimbaud settings (BBCSSO/Brabbins). A Grammy nominated artist, she has recorded prolifically for Chandos, Hyperion, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Decca, Philips and Collins Classics among others.

Gritton had no formal "British college or conservatoire training".[2] She is married to the opera director Stephen Medcalf.[4]

Roles

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Discography

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Prizes and awards

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Glyndebourne Archive - Susan Gritton accessed 16 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h The battle of the senses: Susan Gritton branches out with Britten and Fanny Mendelssohn (Interview with Roger Nichols). Gramophone, February 2000, p17.
  3. ^ a b c d Search for Susan Gritton in the Royal Opera House database accessed 16 December 2024.
  4. ^ Allison, John (June 2013) "Stephen Medcalf". Opera, Vol 64, No. 6, pp. 696–702.
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