Susanna Hurrell (soprano) was born in London to a musical family and joined the undergraduate programme at the Royal College of Music in 2005. After graduating with first class honours she gained a place to study with Patricia Rozario at the RCM International Opera School where she is currently supported by an HR Taylor trust award and a Miriam Licette scholarship. She is pleased to have been awarded a place at the National Opera Studio where she will continue her studies in September.
During her time at college Susanna has won the English Song competition and second prize in the Lieder competition, and has taken part in many acclaimed performances such as Bruckner’s Te Deum with Bernard Haitink and Mozart’s C Minor Mass with Sir Charles Mackerras. She has also sung the soprano solos in Bach’s Easter Oratorio and Schoenberg’s string quartet no.2.
Susanna has already embarked upon a varied solo career where her notable performances include Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Bach’s Magnificat at St John’s, Smith Square, Handel’s Messiah with the English Chamber Orchestra at the Cadogan Hall, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and Faure’s Requiem recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall by EMI classics.
On the operatic stage her roles include Dido in Dido and Aeneas, Serpetta in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera (Opera de Baugé), the Maid in The Crocodile (Grimeborn Festival), Papagena in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (RCMIOS), Euridice in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld (RCMIOS), the title role in G&S’s Patience (RCMIOS), and for the London Handel Festival, Rodelinda (Rodelinda), Rossane (Alessandro), and Amarilli (Il Pastor Fido). Later this year she looks forward to performing the role of Rose in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene with The Opera Group.
Susanna enjoys a successful collaboration with the pianist Sebastian Wybrew who recently took the accompanists’ prize while she won first prize in the John Kerr English Song competition. They both feature on the CD: ‘An English Trumpeter’ with trumpeter Simon Cheney, in ‘Songs for Sorrow’, a set of five songs by the contemporary composer Gordon Carr.
Susanna is delighted to be the second recipient of the Peter Hulsen Orchestral Song award and is extremely grateful to Peter Hulsen for his generous support of young musicians.
