Trainees 2011/12

Sopranos
Gabriela Istoc
Rhian Lois

Mezzo-sopranos
Catia Moreso
Josephine Thorpe

Tenors
David Butt Philip
Carlos Fidalgo
Anthony Gregory
Alexander Sprague

Baritones
Alexander Baker
Charles Rice

Bass
Aidan Smith

Repetiteurs
Jean-Yves Cornet
Ja Yeon Kang
Philip Voldman
Paul Wingfield

Susanna Hurrell soprano

Susanna Hurrell was born in London to a musical family and joined the undergraduate programme at the Royal College of Music in 2005. After graduating with first class honours she gained a place to study with Patricia Rozario at the RCM International Opera School supported by an HR Taylor Trust award and a Miriam Licette scholarship. This year she is the grateful recipient of a Sybil Tutton award administrated by the Musician's Benevolent Fund, enabling her to continue her studies at the National Opera Studio.

During her time at college Susanna won the English Song competition and second prize in the Lieder competition, and took part in many acclaimed performances such as Bruckner's Te Deum with Bernard Haitink and Mozart's C Minor Mass with Sir Charles Mackerras. She also sung the soprano solos in Bach's Easter Oratorio and Schoenberg's String quartet no.2.

Notable solo performances include Haydn's Nelson Mass and Bach's Magnificat at St John's, Smith Square, Handel's Messiah with the English Chamber Orchestra at the Cadogan Hall, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, a recital of Schubert songs for Humphrey Burton at Snape Maltings, operatic hits with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at Westfield (Proms out and about) and Faure's Requiem recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall by EMI classics.

On the operatic stage her roles include Euridice in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld (RCMIOS), the title role in G&S's Patience (RCMIOS), Papagena in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (RCMIOS), Serpetta in Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera (Opera de Baugé), the Maid in The Crocodile (Grimeborn Festival), and for the London Handel Festival; Rodelinda Rodelinda, Rossane Alessandro, and Amarilli Il Pastor Fido. Later this year she looks forward to performing the role of Rose Maurrant in Kurt Weill's Street Scene with The Opera Group.