Susan Foster
Soprano
Soprano Susan Foster has frequently been hailed by critics for her thrilling, emotionally compelling performances in many of opera's greatest soprano roles, and she is now successfully transitioning into the Dramatic Soprano repertoire. She began her exciting 2007/08 season by performing the role of Isolde in Tristan und Isolde with Los Angeles Opera as well as for the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg with Maestro Gergiev conducting. She followed with role debuts as the title role in Turandot with Greek National Opera and Leonore in Fidelio with Opera Roanoke. Her upcoming schedule for this season includes covering Isolde in Tristan und Isolde for the Metropolitan Opera. The 2008/09 season will then take her once again to the Savonlinna Opera Festival to sing the title role in Puccini's Turandot. For the 2009/10 season, she will sing the title role in Turandot for Los Angeles Opera, and also sing Helmwige and cover Brünnhilde at Los Angeles in Die Walküre.
Most recently, Ms. Foster covered the role of Elisabetta in Don Carlo with Los Angeles Opera. In the 2005/2006 season, she appeared in the title role of Tosca with Los Angeles Opera in student matinee performances, in concert with New Jersey's Boheme Opera and Vero Beach Opera, and in Opera Santa Barbara's presentation of Le Donne di Giacomo. During 2004/2005, she made her Los Angeles Opera debut as Marianne in Der Rosenkavalier and also covered Dame Kiri TeKanawa in the title role of Vanessa; and she performed the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Anchorage Opera, the title role in Tosca with National Lyric Opera, and the title role in Robert Ward's Claudia Legare with DiCapo Opera Theatre.
Miss Foster has performed the roles of Leonora in Il Trovatore with Florida Grand Opera, Connecticut Opera, Vancouver Opera, Fresno International Grand Opera and Opera Carolina; Elisabetta in Don Carlo with Pittsburgh Opera; Fifth Maid (and cover Chrysothemis) in Elektra, Clorinde in La Cenerentola and Pepa in Tiefland with Washington National Opera; Marianne in Der Rosenkavalier with New York City Opera; the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Toledo Opera; Micaela in Carmen with Chautauqua Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago’s student matinee performances; the title roles in both Tosca and Norma with Washington D.C.’s Summer Opera Theatre; and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Lyric Opera of Kansas City. .
Concert highlights include appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony and the Grant Park Symphony.
A native of Ohio, Miss Foster graduated from Ohio State University and continued her professional training as a member of the prestigious Lyric Opera Center for American Artists with Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she performed leading roles in the Center’s productions in addition to numerous supporting roles and covers for the mainstage. She has also been honored with several awards, including the Florida Grand Opera Olsen Artist Award, the Washington Summer Opera Guild Award, Grand Prize of the Greater Miami Opera YPO Competition and a Shoshana Foundation Grant. Her discography includes the Prompter in Weisgall’s Six Characters In Search Of An Author on the New World Records label.