SUSAN PARKES About
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Susan Parkes is an award winning opera singer who has sung many contrasting soprano roles internationally. She held a scholarship at the Royal College of Music for both her undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Opera roles include: Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro), Cio Cio San, Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Fiordiligi (Cosi Fan Tutte), Fedon (Satie’s Socrates), Kätchen (Werther), Ida (Die Fledermauss), Ines (Il Trovatore), Leonore (Fidelio), Michaella (Carmen), Olga (Merry Widow) Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), with companies such as Opera Holland Park, Opera de Baugé (France), Classical Opera Company, Opera London, Charles Court Opera, Enharmonia Lirica (Italy) and English Opera Singers. Highlights include performances at Sadler’s Wells, Bath International Festival, the Buxton Festival, Salzburg International Festival, the Lindbury Studio Covent Garden and tours in Europe, Hong Kong, Africa and Australia.
Susan has premiered and recorded as soloist many brand new works including the multi award winning, Karl Jenkins’ “Armed Man’s Mass for Peace” (subsequently recorded for Virgin Records and reaching No 1 in the British Classical Charts) at the Royal Albert Hall, also premiering the role of Poppea (Fragments of Sun), Susan (Parting), Marta Clare (I Only Know I Am), Myisi (Myisi), Lady MacBeth, roles especially written for her voice) by Litha and Effy Efthymiou for Tete a Tete Opera at the Riverside Studios London and King’s Place London. Other contemporary roles include Model in Alastair White’s fashion opera Wear. Susan’s voice has even been turned into an “App” which triggers when smart phones are held over large scale art works in Singing Ribbons touring art exhibition by Matthew Maxwell. She has been turned into a hologram for the world’s first feature length holographic opera film Symphony for a Lost Generation.
She has been interviewed and sung live on BBC Radio, E4 television, and Susan was selected to appear and perform in the Hollywood film called if only in which she sings as the character “Melvina Walters” with Jennifer Love-Hewitt playing the violin in the orchestra. She also appeared in Puccini's Turandot Opera Scene in “Mission Impossible 5 – Rogue Nation” with Tom Cruise fighting overhead. On Stage Susan sang in the London premiere of the play “As I Like It” by Amanda Eliasch later being pictured in “Hello!” Magazine, the subsequent documentary won it’s category at the Bel Air Film Festival.
Susan frequently gives guest vocal masterclasses and has lectured on women composers, contemporary opera and the interpretation of English Song for the past 5 years at the prestigious Oxford University as part of CASI and MAPA organisations. She has given vocal masterclasses, outreach projects with major orchestras, including London Philharmonia, and sits on audition panels.
She is very passionate about making opera accessible to children and she was asked to devise, write and sang in Opera for Kids; Amazing Arias at the Royal Albert Hall. This was then adapted to a solo performance and recorded live from her front room during lockdown as part of the Royal Albert Hall’s Royal Albert Home live-streamed concert series, which has received thousands of views on Youtube.
Opera roles include: Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro), Cio Cio San, Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Fiordiligi (Cosi Fan Tutte), Fedon (Satie’s Socrates), Kätchen (Werther), Ida (Die Fledermauss), Ines (Il Trovatore), Leonore (Fidelio), Michaella (Carmen), Olga (Merry Widow) Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), with companies such as Opera Holland Park, Opera de Baugé (France), Classical Opera Company, Opera London, Charles Court Opera, Enharmonia Lirica (Italy) and English Opera Singers. Highlights include performances at Sadler’s Wells, Bath International Festival, the Buxton Festival, Salzburg International Festival, the Lindbury Studio Covent Garden and tours in Europe, Hong Kong, Africa and Australia.
Susan has premiered and recorded as soloist many brand new works including the multi award winning, Karl Jenkins’ “Armed Man’s Mass for Peace” (subsequently recorded for Virgin Records and reaching No 1 in the British Classical Charts) at the Royal Albert Hall, also premiering the role of Poppea (Fragments of Sun), Susan (Parting), Marta Clare (I Only Know I Am), Myisi (Myisi), Lady MacBeth, roles especially written for her voice) by Litha and Effy Efthymiou for Tete a Tete Opera at the Riverside Studios London and King’s Place London. Other contemporary roles include Model in Alastair White’s fashion opera Wear. Susan’s voice has even been turned into an “App” which triggers when smart phones are held over large scale art works in Singing Ribbons touring art exhibition by Matthew Maxwell. She has been turned into a hologram for the world’s first feature length holographic opera film Symphony for a Lost Generation.
She has been interviewed and sung live on BBC Radio, E4 television, and Susan was selected to appear and perform in the Hollywood film called if only in which she sings as the character “Melvina Walters” with Jennifer Love-Hewitt playing the violin in the orchestra. She also appeared in Puccini's Turandot Opera Scene in “Mission Impossible 5 – Rogue Nation” with Tom Cruise fighting overhead. On Stage Susan sang in the London premiere of the play “As I Like It” by Amanda Eliasch later being pictured in “Hello!” Magazine, the subsequent documentary won it’s category at the Bel Air Film Festival.
Susan frequently gives guest vocal masterclasses and has lectured on women composers, contemporary opera and the interpretation of English Song for the past 5 years at the prestigious Oxford University as part of CASI and MAPA organisations. She has given vocal masterclasses, outreach projects with major orchestras, including London Philharmonia, and sits on audition panels.
She is very passionate about making opera accessible to children and she was asked to devise, write and sang in Opera for Kids; Amazing Arias at the Royal Albert Hall. This was then adapted to a solo performance and recorded live from her front room during lockdown as part of the Royal Albert Hall’s Royal Albert Home live-streamed concert series, which has received thousands of views on Youtube.