Susan Legg - Mezzo-Soprano
‘A lustrous mezzo-soprano’
The Sunday Times
Since winning the National Mozart Singing Competition, Susan Legg has enjoyed a flourishing career that has taken her to major concert venues throughout the world. Specialising in contemporary song, lieder and chanson, she is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and has recorded for Norwegian Radio. The legendary mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig described Susan's lyric mezzo as ‘a beautiful voice with a fine coloratura’.
Much in demand as a recitalist, Susan has given concerts at the Wigmore Hall, a Purcell Room song recital and piano recital, a performance of Strauss’s opera Ariadne auf Naxos (Komponist) and a vocal recital at St John's, Smith Square and opera galas at St James’s Palace as well as the British Embassies in Moscow, Copenhagen, Lisbon and Stockholm.
Operatic engagements include Glyndebourne, Bayreuth, Wexford and Aldeburgh Festivals and the Walton Trust, Ischia. In oratorio, Susan has performed all of Elgar’s works, the Bach Passions, Verdi and Mozart Requiems and given performances of Handel’s Messiah in Mexico. She has recorded soundtracks for film, television and video games and regularly sings with the BBC Singers.
Susan’s awards include: the National Mozart Singing Competition; Richard Tauber Schubert Society Prize; Tillett Trust’s Young Artists' Platform; finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and Belvedere International Singing Competition, Vienna and British representative in the Queen Sonja International Music Competition, Norway.
In a celebrated duo with award-winning pianist Ann Martin-Davis, their unique CD of Lutosławski chamber music for the ASV Label won worldwide acclaim and was described as ‘beautiful and exquisite’ by BBC Music Magazine. A further disc for Nimbus Label 'Heaven-Haven’ - The Songs of Peter Pope brought to light a forgotten English composer. The duo have commissioned ground-breaking song-cycles from Graham Fitkin, Howard Skempton and Gabriel Jackson which they have performed and toured in major UK music and poetry festivals. Their latest project Mr James’ Garden: Jardin de los Sueños celebrates music, sculpture and the fascinating surrealist Mexican garden Las Pozas, created by philanthropist Edward James. With specially commissioned Mexican artwork, the premieres took place in Mexico City, followed by performances in Henley and Petworth Festivals in Summer 2013.
Engagements this Season will take Susan to Durham, Chichester and Arundel Cathedrals, Dorchester and Romsey Abbeys and Kilkenny and Brighton and Eastbourne Festivals.
Susan studied singing with Margaret Kingsley at the Royal College of Music and the National Opera Studio and piano with Clifford Benson and Phyllis Sellick.
Susan is represented by Singers Direct, and you can find out more about her on her own website.