…breathtaking dramatic aptitude and undulating vocal exchanges from a very impressive Susannah Lawergren (soprano) and Andrew O’Connor (bass)as the Soul and Jesus. Their duets ‘Wenn kommst du, mein Heil?’ and ‘Mein Freund ist mein’ were incredibly touching, especially with the bass positioned at a distance during the latter to depict the advancing Saviour.
-Sydney Arts Guide reviewing Bach Akademie Australia’s “Music in the Castle of Heaven”, November 2023
NEWS - Tamara-Anna Cislowska welcomed Susannah to ABC Classic’s Duet Programme.
Take a listen: ABC Classic Duet
“The highlight is soprano Susannah Lawergren’s achingly beautiful narration of the Qui Tollis. ”
“A heart-stopping vocal performance...her crystal, pure high notes carrying the listener into another dimension.”
“Her beautifully clear soprano...and the emotional range and pace of her performance resulted in an extraordinarily moving and memorable experience.”
Resonate Online Concert at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, May 2020
Sydney soprano Susannah Lawergren has developed a reputation for her versatility, “stunning vocal expression”, “beautifully clear soprano” and "compelling stagecraft". She holds an Advanced Diploma of Opera from the Sydney Conservatorium and a Bachelor of Arts (Politics-with Distinction) from the University of NSW, studied at the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute and studied languages and singing in Rome, Stockholm, New York and London.
Susannah is a principal artist with The Song Company and Bach Akademie Australia and has also sung with some of the foremost ensembles in Australia including Ensemble Offspring, Opera Australia, Australia Ensemble, Cantillation, Sydney Chamber Opera, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Salut! Baroque, Willoughby Orchestra and Hourglass Ensemble and international ensembles like Voces8, the Wallfisch Ensemble and Forma Antiqva. Much of her career has revolved around working with new music and collaborations with many Australian composers, including several premieres by Ross Edwards and Elena Kats-Chernin. She has recorded for Hyperion Records and has appeared many times on ABC Classic FM and Fine Music FM, including Tamara Anna-Cislowska's Duet on ABC-Classic FM. She has performed at many of the major festivals in Australia, including three times at the Sydney Festival, twice at the Adelaide Festival and a remarkable ten times at the Canberra International Music Festival. Known also for her compelling stagecraft, she has sung with physical theatre troupes such as Legs on the Wall, choreographer Paulina Quinteros, and with Australian Dance Artists in renowned artist Ken Unsworth’s studio theatre.
Susannah has a busy performing life as a soloist around Sydney and Australia, performing oratorio, art song, opera and contemporary music. Susannah’s repertoire varies widely, recently singing Kats-Chernin’s Wild Swans while flying harnessed through the air above Willoughby Orchestra with astonishing aerialists Legs on the Wall and performing with Kats-Chernin at the piano, art songs with harpist Emily Granger at the inaugural Oberon Festival, a series of solo Bach cantatas for Baroquefest Canowindra with Bach Akademie Australia and a new commission by Ross Edwards with Bernadette Harvey for the 150th Anniversary of the Art Gallery of NSW. A memorable highlight was being the soprano soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Hans Zimmer’s Blue Planet II for an audience of 8000 film music fans.
This year she will sing with Opera Australia in the 8-member semi-chorus of Brett Dean’s Hamlet and be the soprano soloist in the premiere of Ross Edwards’s Vespers for Mother Earth for Song Company’s 40th Anniversary Gala as well as singing in the concert series of the Song Company and Bach Akademie Australia.
For a longer bio, please visit: https://www.susannahlawergren.com.au/bio
and for more concert details, https://www.susannahlawergren.com.au/upcomingconcerts
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