Susan Larson

Susan Larson (born 1944) is an American soprano opera singer and author. Larson was born in New Rochelle, New York and she graduated with a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University in 1965. She received a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory in 1969.

Career highlights

• Charter member, Emmanuel Music, Boston
• Appearances with Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Ravinia, St. Louis and Bethlemehm Bach Festivals, Monadnock Music Festival, Pepsico SummerFare Festival, Theater der Welt Festival
• Member, Liederkreis Quartet (Naumburg Foundation Award for chamber music, 1980)
• Peter Sellars production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, Manchester NH 1980, role of Donna Elvira
• Peter Sellars production of Handel's Saul, 1981, role of Michal
• American Repertory Theater, Handel's Orlando, 1982, role of Dorinda
• American Repertory Theater, Rodgers & Hart's The Boys from Syracuse, 1983 (Best Actress in a Musical, Boston Theatre Critics Circle)
• Theater der Welt prize awarded for Sellars' production of Così fan tutte 1989
• Opera Company of Boston, Robert DiDomenica's "The Balcony," (role of Carmen) in Boston and at the Bolsoi in Moscow
• She has published two novels: Sam (a pastoral) and The Murder of Figaro
• Member, Board of Directors, Guerilla Opera

Recordings

• London Records CDs of Così fan tutte (as Fiordiligi), Le nozze di Figaro (as Cherubino), and Giulio Cesare in Egitto as Cleopatra
• Liebeslieder Waltzer (Brahms) with Liederkreis Quartet, "A Samuel Chapter" (John Harbison)
• Emmanuel Music, Schütz motets

Premiere performances

• "Mirabai Songs" (John Harbison)
• "On This Most Voluptuous Night" (Yehudi Wyner)
• Carmen, in Robert DiDomenica's operatic adaptation of Jean Genet's The Balcony, with the Opera Company of Boston (1990).

Filmography

• Le nozze di Figaro (1990) (TV) Cherubino
• Giulio Cesare in Egitto (1990) (TV) Cleopatra
• Così fan tutte (1990) (TV) Fiordiligi

Books

• Sam (a pastoral) (Savvy Press, 2012)
• The Murder of Figaro (Savvy Press, 2019)

Sources

• Dyer, Richard. "Susan Larson A Bewitching Contradiction". Boston Globe, February 5, 1987 (subscription required)
• Oestreich, James. "Jean Genet's 'Balcony' Makes Debut as Opera". New York Times, June 17, 1990