# Susan Gritton

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{{Short description|English operatic soprano}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
'''Susan Gritton''' (born 31 August 1965) is an English operatic [soprano](/source/soprano). She was the 1994 winner of the [Kathleen Ferrier Award](/source/Kathleen_Ferrier_Award)<ref name="GOGritton"/> and has sung leading roles in a wide-ranging repertoire from [Handel](/source/Handel) and [Mozart](/source/Mozart) to [Britten](/source/Britten), [Janáček](/source/Jan%C3%A1%C4%8Dek) and [Strauss](/source/Richard_Strauss).

==Life and career==
Gritton was born in [Reigate](/source/Reigate), Surrey.  She was educated at the [University of Oxford](/source/University_of_Oxford) and the [University of London](/source/University_of_London), where she studied [Botany](/source/Botany).<ref name="GramoSenses">The battle of the senses: Susan Gritton branches out with Britten and Fanny Mendelssohn (Interview with [Roger Nichols](/source/Roger_Nichols_(musical_scholar))). ''[Gramophone](/source/Gramophone_(magazine))'', February 2000, p17.</ref> She sang with the Clerkes of Oxenford, Monteverdi Choir and Hanover Band Chorus.<ref name="GramoSenses"/> Early on she was inspired by the singing of [Lucia Popp](/source/Lucia_Popp) on the ''Cunning Little Vixen'' recording conducted by [Charles Mackerras](/source/Charles_Mackerras).<ref name="GramoSenses"/>

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);<ref name="ROHGritton"/> 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),<ref name="GOGritton">[https://www.glyndebourne.com/persons/susan-gritton/ Glyndebourne Archive - Susan Gritton] accessed 16 December 2024.</ref> 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](/source/Das_Paradies_und_die_Peri)'' at the Edinburgh Festival (SCO/Norrington) and in Vienna (Vienna Philharmonic/Rattle) and Britten's ''[Les Illuminations](/source/Les_Illuminations_(Britten))'' – 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".<ref name="GramoSenses"/> She is married to the opera director [Stephen Medcalf](/source/Stephen_Medcalf_(director)).<ref name="OM">Allison, John (June 2013) "Stephen Medcalf". ''[Opera](/source/Opera_(British_magazine))'', Vol 64, No. 6, pp. 696–702.</ref>

==Roles==

{{Div col}}
*Barbarina in [Mozart's](/source/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart) ''[The Marriage of Figaro](/source/The_Marriage_of_Figaro)'' at [Glyndebourne Festival Opera](/source/Glyndebourne_Festival_Opera)<ref name="GOGritton"/>
*Blanche in [Poulenc's](/source/Francis_Poulenc) [''Dialogues des Carmélites''](/source/Dialogues_of_the_Carmelites) at [Bayerische Staatsoper](/source/Bayerische_Staatsoper)
*Cleopatra in [Handel's](/source/George_Frideric_Handel) ''[Giulio Cesare](/source/Giulio_Cesare)'' at Bayerische Staatsoper
*Contessa in Mozart's ''[The Marriage of Figaro](/source/The_Marriage_of_Figaro)'' at [English National Opera](/source/English_National_Opera)
*Donna Anna in Mozart's ''[Don Giovanni](/source/Don_Giovanni)'' at [Bolshoi](/source/Bolshoi_Theatre), [Opera de Montreal](/source/Opera_de_Montreal), [Scottish Opera](/source/Scottish_Opera)
*Ellen Orford in [Britten's](/source/Benjamin_Britten) ''[Peter Grimes](/source/Peter_Grimes)'' at [La Scala](/source/La_Scala), Sydney, Tokyo
*Elettra in Mozart's ''[Idomeneo](/source/Idomeneo)'' at [Netherlands Opera](/source/Netherlands_Opera)
*Female Chorus in Britten's ''[The Rape of Lucretia](/source/The_Rape_of_Lucretia)'' at [Snape Maltings](/source/Snape_Maltings)
*Fiordiligi in Mozart's ''[Così fan tutte](/source/Cos%C3%AC_fan_tutte)'' at [Mostly Mozart Festival](/source/Mostly_Mozart_Festival), English National Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper
*Governess in Britten's [''The Turn of the Screw''](/source/The_Turn_of_the_Screw_(opera)) at Snape Maltings
*Konstanze in Mozart's ''[Die Entführung aus dem Serail](/source/Die_Entf%C3%BChrung_aus_dem_Serail)'' at [Berlin State Opera](/source/Berlin_State_Opera), Bayerische Staatsoper
*Liù in [Puccini's](/source/Giacomo_Puccini) ''[Turandot](/source/Turandot)'' at the [Royal Opera House](/source/Royal_Opera_House)<ref name="ROHGritton">[https://www.rohcollections.org.uk/SearchResults.aspx?searchtype=performance&page=0&person=susan%20gritton Search for Susan Gritton in the Royal Opera House database] accessed 16 December 2024.</ref>
*Madeleine in [Richard Strauss](/source/Richard_Strauss)'s ''[Capriccio](/source/Capriccio_(opera))'' at [Grange Park Opera](/source/Grange_Park_Opera)
*Marenka in [Smetana's](/source/Bed%C5%99ich_Smetana) ''[The Bartered Bride](/source/The_Bartered_Bride)'' at the Royal Opera House<ref name="ROHGritton"/>
*Marzelline in [Beethoven's](/source/Ludwig_van_Beethoven) ''[Fidelio](/source/Fidelio)'' at [Teatro dell'Opera di Roma](/source/Teatro_dell'Opera_di_Roma)
*Micaela in [Bizet's](/source/Georges_Bizet) ''[Carmen](/source/Carmen)'' at the Royal Opera House<ref name="ROHGritton"/>
*Pamina in Mozart's ''[The Magic Flute](/source/The_Magic_Flute)'' at English National Opera
*Rodelinda in Handel's ''[Rodelinda](/source/Rodelinda_(opera))'' at Bayerische Staatsoper
*Romilda in Handel's [''Xerxes''](/source/Serse) at Bayerische Staatsoper
*Theodora in Handel's ''[Theodora](/source/Theodora_(Handel))'' at [Glyndebourne Festival Opera](/source/Glyndebourne_Festival_Opera)<ref name="GOGritton"/>
*Tatyana in [Tchaikovsky's](/source/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky) ''[Eugene Onegin](/source/Eugene_Onegin_(opera))'' at Grange Park Opera
*Tytania in Britten's [''A Midsummer Night's Dream''](/source/A_Midsummer_Night's_Dream_(opera)) at [Teatro la Fenice](/source/Teatro_la_Fenice)
*Vitellia in Mozart's ''[La clemenza di Tito](/source/La_clemenza_di_Tito)'' at Bayerische Staatsoper
*Vixen in [Janáček's](/source/Leo%C5%A1_Jan%C3%A1%C4%8Dek) ''[The Cunning Little Vixen](/source/The_Cunning_Little_Vixen)'' at English National Opera
*Miss Wordsworth in Britten's ''[Albert Herring](/source/Albert_Herring)'' at [Glyndebourne Festival Opera](/source/Glyndebourne_Festival_Opera)<ref name="GOGritton"/>

{{Div col end}}

==Discography==

{{Div col}}
*[Beethoven](/source/Ludwig_van_Beethoven) ''[Ah perfido!](/source/Ah_perfido!)'' London Chamber Orchestra, [Christopher Warren-Green](/source/Christopher_Warren-Green) (Signum)
*Beethoven ''[9th Symphony](/source/Symphony_No._9_(Beethoven))'' BBC National Orchestra of Wales, [François-Xavier Roth](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois-Xavier_Roth) (BBC Music Magazine Vol. 16 No. 7)
*Beethoven ''[Vestas Feuer](/source/Vestas_Feuer)'' Sir Andrew Davis (Deutsche Grammophon, Beethoven Edition Vol. 3)
*[Berlioz](/source/Hector_Berlioz)  ''[Béatrice et Bénédict](/source/B%C3%A9atrice_et_B%C3%A9n%C3%A9dict)'' (Hero) London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis (LSO LIVE)
*[Brahms](/source/Johannes_Brahms)  ''[Ein Deutsches Requiem](/source/Ein_Deutsches_Requiem)'' Choir of King's College Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury (EMI)
*[Brian](/source/Havergal_Brian)  ''[Gothic Symphony](/source/Gothic_Symphony)'' BBC National Orchestra of Wales, etc. Martyn Brabbins (Hyperion)
*[Britten](/source/Benjamin_Britten) ''[Albert Herring](/source/Albert_Herring)'' (Miss Wordsworth) Northern Sinfonia, Stuart Bedford (Naxos)
*Britten ''[Les Illuminations](/source/Les_Illuminations)'' BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner (Chandos
*Britten ''[Paul Bunyan](/source/Paul_Bunyan_(operetta))'' (Tiny) Royal Opera House Chorus & Orchestra, Richard Hickox (Chandos)<ref name="GramoSenses"/>
*''[Britten's Purcell Realizations](/source/Britten's_Purcell_Realizations)'' [Graham Johnson](/source/Graham_Johnson_(musician)), piano (Hyperion)
*Britten ''[The Poet's Echo](/source/The_Poet's_Echo)'' Iain Burnside, piano (Signum)
*Britten ''[Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente](/source/Sechs_H%C3%B6lderlin-Fragmente)'' Iain Burnside, piano (Signum)
*[Elgar](/source/Edward_Elgar) etc. ''Her Song'' BBC Concert Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (Dutton)
*Elgar ''[The Spirit of England](/source/The_Spirit_of_England)'' BBC Symphony Orchestra, [David Lloyd Jones](/source/David_Lloyd-Jones_(conductor)) (Dutton)
*[Finzi](/source/Gerald_Finzi) ''[Dies natalis](/source/Dies_Natalis_(cantata))'' BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner (Chandos)
*[Gluck](/source/Christoph_Willibald_Gluck) ''[Paride ed Elena](/source/Paride_ed_Elena)'' (Elena) Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deutsche Grammophon)
*[Górecki](/source/Henryk_G%C3%B3recki) ''[Symphony No. 3](/source/Symphony_No._3_(G%C3%B3recki))'' Philharmonic Orchestra, [Yuri Simonov](/source/Yuri_Simonov) (Regis)
*[Handel](/source/George_Frideric_Handel) ''[L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato](/source/L'Allegro%2C_il_Penseroso_ed_il_Moderato)'' The King's Consort, Robert King (Hyperion)
*Handel ''[The Choice of Hercules](/source/The_Choice_of_Hercules_(Handel))'' (Pleasure) The King's Consort, Robert King (Hyperion)
*Handel ''[Deborah](/source/Deborah_(Handel))'' (Jael) The King's Consort, Robert King (Hyperion)<ref name="GramoSenses"/>
*Handel ''[Israel in Egypt](/source/Israel_in_Egypt)'' King's College Choir, Stephen Cleobury (Decca)
*Handel ''[Messiah](/source/Messiah_(Handel))'' Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deustsche Grammophon)
*Handel ''[Messiah](/source/Messiah_(Handel))'' LSO, Sir Colin Davis (LSO Live)
*Handel ''[Messiah](/source/Messiah_(Handel))'' Ensemble Matheus, Jean-Christophe Spinosi (DVD, Unitel Classic)
*Handel ''[Occasional Oratorio](/source/Occasional_Oratorio)'' The King's Consort, Robert King (Hyperion)
*Handel ''[Saul](/source/Saul_(Handel))'' (Merab) Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deustsche Grammophon)
*Handel ''[Solomon](/source/Solomon_(Handel))'' (Queen of Sheba) Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deustsche Grammophon)<ref name="GramoSenses"/>
*Handel ''Solomon'' (Solomon's Queen, First Harlot) Berlin RIAS Chamber Chorus, Daniel Reuss (Harmonia Mundi)
*Handel ''[Theodora](/source/Theodora_(Handel))'' (Theodora) Gabrielli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (Deutsche Grammophon)
*[Toivo Kuula](/source/Toivo_Kuula) ''Orchestral Songs'' BBC Concert Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (Dutton Epoch)
*[Medtner](/source/Nikolai_Medtner) ''Goethe Lieder'' [Geoffrey Tozer](/source/Geoffrey_Tozer), piano (Chandos)
*[Fanny Mendelssohn](/source/Fanny_Mendelssohn) ''[Lieder](/source/Lieder)'' Eugene Asti, piano (Hyperion)<ref name="GramoSenses"/>
*[Felix Mendelssohn](/source/Felix_Mendelssohn) ''[Paulus](/source/St._Paul_(oratorio))'' BBC National Orchestra, Richard Hickox (Chandos)
*[Mozart](/source/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart) ''[Exsultate, jubilate](/source/Exsultate%2C_jubilate)'' St John's Sinfonia, Andrew Nethsingha (Chandos)
*Mozart ''Porgi amor'', ''[Dove sono](/source/Dove_sono)'' London Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Warren-Green (Signum)
*Mozart ''[Requiem](/source/Requiem_(Mozart))'' Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras (Linn)
*Mozart ''Ruhe sanft, meine holdes Leben'' Classical Opera Company, Ian Page (Sony)
*[Poulenc](/source/Francis_Poulenc) ''[Dialogues des Carmelites](/source/Dialogues_des_Carmelites)'' (Blanche) Bayerisches Staatsorchester, [Kent Nagano](/source/Kent_Nagano) (DVD, Bel Air Classics
*Poulenc ''[Gloria](/source/Gloria_(Poulenc))'' Polyphony, Britten Sinfonia, [Stephen Layton](/source/Stephen_Layton) (Hyperion)
*[Schubert](/source/Franz_Schubert) ''[Mass in E flat major](/source/Mass_in_E_flat_major)'' (D 950) Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox (Chandos)
*[Smetana](/source/Bed%C5%99ich_Smetana) ''[The Bartered Bride](/source/The_Bartered_Bride)'' (Marenka) Philarmonia, Sir Charles Mackerras (Chandos)
*[Shostakovich](/source/Dmitri_Shostakovich)  ''[Seven Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok](/source/Seven_Romances_on_Poems_by_Alexander_Blok)'' [Florestan Trio](/source/Florestan_Trio) (Hyperion)
*[Verdi](/source/Giuseppe_Verdi) ''[Falstaff](/source/Falstaff_(opera))'' (Nanetta) English National Opera Orchestra, [Paul Daniel](/source/Paul_Daniel) (Chandos)
*[Vaughan Williams](/source/Ralph_Vaughan_Williams)  ''[A Sea Symphony](/source/A_Sea_Symphony)'' LSO, Richard Hickox (Chandos)
*Vaughan Williams  ''[Sir John in Love](/source/Sir_John_in_Love)'' (Anne Page) Northern Sinfonia, Richard Hickox (Chandos)
*[Vivaldi](/source/Antonio_Vivaldi) ''[Ottone in Villa](/source/Ottone_in_Villa)'' (Cleonilla) Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox (Hyperion)

{{Div col end}}

==Prizes and awards==
*1994 [Kathleen Ferrier Award](/source/Kathleen_Ferrier_Award)
*2003 International Handel Recording Prize for [Handel's](/source/George_Frideric_Handel) [''The Choice of Hercules''](/source/The_Choice_of_Hercules_(oratorio))
*2003 [Gramophone Award](/source/Gramophone_Award) for [Johann Nepomuk Hummel](/source/Johann_Nepomuk_Hummel), ''Masses''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/singers/soprano/susan-gritton Susan Gritton] at Askonas Holt Artists Management {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821062813/http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/singers/soprano/susan-gritton |date=21 August 2011 }}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gritton, Susan}}
Category:1965 births
Category:Living people
Category:English operatic sopranos
Category:People from Reigate
Category:Alumni of the University of London
Category:Alumni of the University of Oxford
Category:20th-century English women opera singers
Category:21st-century British women opera singers
Category:Musicians from Surrey

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Susan Gritton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Gritton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Gritton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.