The Opera Academy of California – July 22, 2013

Introduced to opera as a teenage usher at the Santa Fe Opera, Susanne Mentzer is one of today’s foremost mezzo-sopranos, recognized for her generous vocal and interpretive gifts, and widely admired for her versatility from the recital and concert stage to the operatic arena. Susanne has appeared with nearly all the major opera companies, orchestras and festivals of North and South America, Europe and Japan. For over 20 years she has sung leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera. She has collaborated with many of the worlds great conductors and singers, and with a special interest in new works she has debuted the role of Mother in Tan Duns opera The First Emperor and premiered song cycles by Libby Larsen, Carlisle Floyd, Stephen Bachicha, Daniel Brewbaker. A mentor to young singers she serves on the board of The George London Foundation and The W.M. Sullivan Foundation, is a Professor of Voice at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, and taught at DePaul University in Chicago and the Aspen Music Festival and School. As an arts advocate she writes a blog for the Huffington Post online. Susanne received the Thelen Award from the Alexian Brothers her efforts to raise over one million dollars for Bonaventure House in Chicago, a residence for homeless people with AIDS.