Susan Graham Launches 11-12 With Canadian Debut & Recital At Carnegie Hall

To kick off the 2011-12 season, Susan Graham - "America's favorite mezzo" (Gramophone magazine) - makes her much-anticipated Canadian Opera Company debut on Thursday, September 22, headlining the company premiere of Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride with the role that has become her "calling card" (New York Times). October 30 sees the Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano, always "spellbinding" (Wall Street Journal) in Handel, return to the San Francisco Opera in the title role of the Baroque master's Xerxes, in Nicholas Hytner's Olivier Award-winning staging. A third title role follows in the new year, when Graham - "everybody's dream Widow" (Variety) - joins the Paris Opera for Franz Lehár's popular operetta The Merry Widow, which bows on February 29. Meanwhile, in January she embarks on a North American recital tour with her frequent collaborator, pianist Malcolm Martineau; that tour concludes with her return to Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium on February 1.

Iphigénie en Tauride

As the New York Times's Anthony Tommasini explains, Gluck's 1779 masterpiece Iphigénie en Tauride "has enjoyed a renaissance, thanks to the star power of the superb American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham"; when she undertook the title role at her home company, New York's Metropolitan Opera, he judged her performance "riveting." Likewise, at the San Francisco Opera, London's Sunday Times described Iphigénie as "a role she was born to sing," continuing:

"Iphigénie now belongs to Susan Graham and nobody else. She is spellbinding. ...Graham has made the part her own. ...Among the top-ranking singers of today, Graham has the field to herself. She can claim personal credit for the restoration of this sublime masterpiece to the repertoire."

This past February, Graham returned to the Met to reprise her signature role opposite Plácido Domingo, earning the New York Times's praise once again for her "haunted and mournful" portrayal of a role that's a "perfect fit" for her. Tommasini wrote: "She started off singing with floating richness, emanating tenderness and hurt in arias with the quiet eloquence of prayer, and gained power and authority as the opera went on." Similarly, after her account of the role at Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Tribune observed: "Graham put her own stamp on the part, bringing both nobility and vibrant vocal beauty to her affecting performance."

The Canadian Opera Company production, in which she stars from September 22 until October 12, is directed by Robert Carsen, with Pablo Heras-Casado on the podium and baritone Russell Braun as Orestes.

Xerxes

When Nicholas Hytner's Xerxes production first appeared in London, it was variously described as "a revelation" (Times) and "London's most successful Handel opera staging ever" (Guardian). In last season's revival at Houston Grand Opera, the production scored another triumph, being deemed "a royal treat..., with supernovas Susan Graham...and David Daniels in fine voice heading a sterling cast" (Houston Chronicle). At San Francisco Opera, Graham rejoins celebrated countertenor David Daniels, with Lisette Oropesa as Romilda and Patrick Summers conducting in a production directed by Michael Walling (Oct 30 - Nov 19).

The Merry Widow

For her third title role of the new season, the "peerless American mezzo" (New York Observer) revisits another of her success stories, reprising Hanna Glawari, the merry widow of Lehár's eponymous operetta. When Graham sang the role at Los Angeles Opera, Variety reported: "Susan Graham has offered up everybody's dream Widow in Franz Lehár's The Merry Widow - the wisdom, the cynicism, the lustrous voice." Likewise, in a Metropolitan Opera presentation of the operetta, the New York Times found Graham to be "vivacious and creamy-voiced." Running from February 29 to April 2, the Paris Opera production is directed by Jorge Lavelli and conducted by Asher Fisch.

North American recital tour

Graham's success as a recitalist has already led to the release of two albums with her regular pianist, Malcolm Martineau: Un frisson français, a "superb, exquisite" (Chicago Tribune) French song survey on the Onyx Classics label; and Susan Graham at Carnegie Hall, which was recorded live at the venue by Erato, showcasing her "abundant artistry" (BBC Music magazine) and being named 2003's Classical CD of the Year by the New York Times. Now Graham and Martineau undertake a new eight-city North American tour, in repertoire ranging from Purcell to Cole Porter, crowned by their return to Carnegie's main stage on February 1. As befits one designated a "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur" by the French government in recognition of her unrivaled expertise in French repertoire, Graham will feature works by Berlioz, Poulenc, and Duparc.

Susan Graham: 2011-12 engagements

Sept 22, 25, & 28; Oct 1, 4, 7, & 12
Toronto, ON
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride (Iphigénie)

Oct 30; Nov 4, 8, 11, 16, & 19
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Opera
Handel: Xerxes (Xerxes)

Jan 6, 2012
Québec, QC, Canada
Le Club Musical de Québec
Recital

Jan 10
St. Paul, MN
Schubert Club International Artist Series
Recital

Jan 14
Berkeley, CA
Zellerbach Hall at University of California, Berkeley

Jan 18
Northridge, CA
CSU Northridge, Valley Performing Arts Center
Recital

Jan 22
Morrow, GA
Spivey Hall
Recital

Jan 28
Toronto, ON, Canada
Koerner Hall at Telus Centre
Works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, Duparc, Sondheim, and Noel Coward

Feb 1
New York, NY
Carnegie Hall
Recital

Feb 4
Washington, DC
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

Feb 29; March 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 16, 19, 22, 26, & 29; April 2
Paris, France
Opéra National de Paris
LEHÁR: The Merry Widow (Hanna Glawari)

April 20 & 21
Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Berlioz: La Mort de Cléopâtre

June 19
Strasbourg, France
Opéra National du Rhin
Works by Schubert, Berlioz, Schumann, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Duparc, Wolf, Horowitz, Poulenc, Sondheim, and Noel Coward

www.susangraham.com

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