SUZANNE RIGDEN
Coloratura Soprano
Biogragraphy
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Canadian soprano Suzanne Rigden is making her mark on the international stage with her “remarkable gift for stratospheric coloratura” –San Francisco Chronicle. Equally at home in the operatic, symphonic, concert, operetta, and musical theatre repertoire, Ms. Rigden recently performed Danica in SVADBA by Ana Sokolovic with Opéra de Montréal which was awarded the Prix Opus for music event of the year in 2018.
Suzanne sang the role of Lea in L'HIVER ATTEND BEAUCOUP DE MOI by Laurence Jobidon with Musique 3 Femmes in their Berlin performance of INCONNU. Suzanne's recent engagements include returns to Pacific Opera Victoria to perform Lisa in COUNTESS MARITZA as well to Opera Nova Scotia to perform Gianetta in THE GONDOLIERS. She also sang at the Richard Bradshaw Theatre in Toronto with excerpts from five new Operas as a result of the Mécénat Musica Prix Musique 3 Femmes, of which she is a co-founder. The group participated in “The New Wave” workshop in collaboration with Tapestry Opera and Opera TO Collective in Toronto on these same operas.
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Rigden recently shone in the role of Queen of the Night in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE with Opera Company of Middlebury, Zerbinetta in ARIADNE AUF NAXOS and Tytania in MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with Pacific Opera Victoria. She also performed Adele in DIE FLEDERMAUS with Vancouver Opera, Blondchen in DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL for Ann Arbor Orchestra Symphony in Michigan and Opera Nova Scotia. Highly acclaimed for roles with Montreal Opera, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and Merola Opera Center in San Francisco. Opera World when speaking of her Adele in DIE FLEDERMAUS noted "her effervescent approach and her strong and confident singing in the most difficult coloratura parts.”
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In concert, Suzanne has been heard with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, L’orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre Metropolitain de Montréal, Berlin Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, Ensemble Caprice, Orchestra London, Symphony Nova Scotia, Newfoundland Symphony, North West Florida Symphony and Ústí nad Labem Orchestra, Czech Republic.
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She has participated in international competitions and at the 2014 Spazio Musica competition in Orvieto, Ms. Rigden won the Audience Choice Award and was overall Silver Medalist. She also took First Place, Artist Division, winning the Todd Duncan Legacy Award at the Carolyn Bailey and Dominick Argento Vocal Competition for the National Opera Association in 2015. She also was semi-finalist at the International Singing Competition in Marmande (France), Semi-Finalist in the Ningbo International Vocal Competition (China), received the Award for a Canadian at the George London Competition in New York as well as the Audience Appreciation and First Encouragement Awards at the Regional Met Auditions Competition in Seattle, WA. In 2018 She was pleased to sing for the World Opera Forum in Spain representing Opera Canada.
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Suzanne is a past laureate of Tanglewood, Merola Opera Center, Atelier Lyrique de l’opéra de Montréal, Mozarteum, International Vocal Arts Institute and l’Académie Internationale de Musique Français de Michel Plasson.