Home Suzanne Rigden, Canadian Soprano
Biography
Suzanne Rigden, Canadian coloratura soprano originally from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is described as having a crystalline voice, vibrant and powerful coloratura, a bright ringing tone, gorgeous high notes, amazing agility in her upper range, undeniable charm, and astonishing confidence. Suzanne Rigden spent June through August, 2011, studying in San Francisco, where she got the opportunity to perform the lead coloratura soprano role of "Rosina" in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Merola Opera Program, culminating in a performance with orchestra in the Merola Grand Finale Concert on the stage of the San Francisco Opera. She then returned to Canada to rehearse the role of "Frasquita" for the Jeunesses Musicales tour of Carmen, to sing the soprano solos in Handel's Messiah with Orchestra London, and to prepare for upcoming roles as "Blondchen" in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Opera Nova Scotia, May 2012, and her first "Queen of the Night" in Mozart's Magic Flute with the Maritime Concert Opera, June 2012. Opera Nova Scotia have also engaged her to sing "Luisa Miller" in Verdi's Luisa Miller in May 2013.
In June 2011, Suzanne completed two years as a Young Artist with Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal, where her roles with main stage Opera Montreal have included "First Spirit" and cover for "Queen of the Night" in the Magic Flute, "Shepherd Boy" in Tosca, "Page" in Rigoletto, and "Sophie" in Werther . She has given many performances with Atelier lyrique, including "Gertude" in Nelligan, in collaboration between l'Atelier Lyrique de l'ODM and École nationale de théâtre du Canada, and several roles in the comic opera Aleacanto tour, 2010.
Suzanne Rigden sang in Montreal's Gala Concert of les Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques in November 2009, where she received le Prix Hariclea Darclée-Michel Buruiana and the opportunity to perform the role of "Olympia" in Les Contes d'Hoffman in Romania. She gave thrilling performances in the Concert of Czech and Russian Arias with Orchestre Symphonique des Jeunes de Montréal, Nov 2010, in the Concert of Mozart with Orchestre Symphonique des Jeunes de Montréal Dec 2010, and in La Magie de Mozart concert with Orchestre Symphoniqe de Montréal, Feb 2011. In Mar 2011, Suzanne Rigden sang her Pocket Opera of New York debut as the lead role of "Morgana" in Handel's Alcina.
Suzanne Rigden completed her Masters of Music in Opera Performance from University of British Columbia, Vancouver, under the tutelage of Professor Nancy Hermiston, where she sang the role of "Gretel" in Hansel and Gretel with the Prince George Symphony and Les Dala. In 2008, Suzanne created the role of "Countess Tatiana Blavinskeya" in the world première of Lloyd Burrit’s opera Dream Healer with UBC Opera and Maestro David Agler, and sang "Frasquita" in Carmen. She also performed "Olympia" from Les Contes d’Hoffman.
In 2009, Suzanne attended two weeks at Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, Austria, as an active participant in Master Classes with world class coloratura soprano, Edda Moser. She studied Italian for Singers with Giovanni Ceto and performed the Queen of the Night arias at the Grand Finale concert.
Suzanne Rigden completed a Music degree in Voice Performance from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, where her MUN Opera Road Show roles included the premiere of "Puffin," "Ingvildur," and "Spirit" in Dean Burry’s Vinland Traveler in 2006, "Cinderella" in a version of Cendrillon and La Cenerentola, which toured the Atlantic Provinces in 2007, "La Rainette," "La Chatte," and "Le Rossignol," "La Princesse" and "Le Feu" in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges.
Suzanne Rigden's other summer roles include "Papagena" inThe Magic Flute with the 2007 Halifax Summer Opera Workshop, "Tytania" in Benjamin Britten’s Midsummer Night's Dream, working with Maestro David Agler and Director Kelly Robinson, Banff Centre of the Arts Summer Program, 2008, and "Frasquita" in Carmen with UBC’s collaboration in Czech Republic with the Ústí nad Labem Orchestra, 2009. In 2010, Suzanne Rigden travelled to Tel Aviv, Israel, to sing "Marie" in La fille du Régiment with the International Vocal Arts Institute, under the direction of Joan Dornemann, Artistic Director, Vocal Coach and Assistant Conductor of New York's Metropolitan Opera. Her performance brought much attention to her budding talent from the audience in Israel as well as the conductors and coaches of IVAI.
Suzanne Rigden's first oratorio role was in Dec 2007 when she was guest soloist with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah. She has performed the Soprano solos in Bach's B minor Mass with Symphony Nova Scotia and Camerata Singers, directed by Jeff Joudrey in 2010, and will be soprano soloist with Orchestra London’s Messiah, Dec 2011.
Suzanne Rigden has competed in several international competitions including the Ningbo International Voice Competition held in Ningbo, China, in October 2008, in which she advanced to the semi-final round. In the 2009 Metropolitan Opera National Competition, Suzanne won the district round in Vancouver, BC, and both the Audience Choice and Beverly Logan Hamway Memorial Awards at the Regional level in Seattle, Washington. During the summer of 2009, with financial assistance from Nova Scotia Talent Trust, Theatre Lyrichoregra of Montreal and the Joseph and Melitta Kandler Scholarship, Suzanne travelled in Europe, competing in the Klaudia Taev Opera Competition in Estonia, and Orvieto Spazio Musica, an Open international opera competition in Italy, where she was a finalist. Mar 2010, Suzanne went to New York City to sing in the George London Foundation Competition, where she was a finalist and selected by the judges to sing "Der Hölle Rache." Suzanne has received many awards as a talented young Canadian coloratura, including receiving the Portia White Award from Nova Scotia Talent Trust, the Royal Bank scholarship for Banff Summer Opera program, L'Opéra de Montréal Administration Bursary, the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation Grant for Young Opera Singers, and the Merola Sponsorships of San Francisco Opera, including the Fund in Honor of Leontyne Price. Suzanne Rigden's "remarkable gift for stratospheric coloratura" is taking the stage by storm.