Press
Critical Acclaim
“Graham’s performance is gut-wrenchingly sincere and she’s as vocally resplendent as ever, even when her voice seems on the verge of breaking with emotion.”
“Susan Graham’s performance as De Rocher’s mother stands out for its highly emotional elements. Graham literally cries out for her son, whom she says was at one time a “good boy” who had a hard life, to be spared. Her vocals tug at the heart throughout her plea.”
“Her performance—superbly sung and utterly, devastatingly convincing—is a peak opera-going experience”
Chicago Reader – November 4, 2019
“But it’s Joseph’s disheveled mother, in a heart-wrenching scene that mezzo-soprano Susan Graham was destined to play, who opens the story up to gorgeous transcendence as the opera propels toward its intermission pause. As a downtrodden woman whose eloquence lies in her utter inadequacy to change the course of a hearing to appeal Joseph’s fate, Graham delivered what felt like the authentic improvisation of someone trying to stop the unstoppable, with nothing to bargain with but her gasps about sweet things Joseph did as a little boy.”
Chicago Sun Times – November 3, 2019
“Susan Graham’s performance as De Rocher’s mother stands out for its highly emotional elements. Graham literally cries out for her son, whom she says was at one time a “good boy” who had a hard life, to be spared. Her vocals tug at the heart throughout her plea.”
Chicago Tribune – November 3, 2019
“American mezzo Susan Graham, appropriately regal in shimmering gown and cape, transformed the tragic queen into a creature of flesh and blood, of fallibilities and strengths. It was a stellar performance by a world-class singer in her prime, soaring effortlessly to thrilling heights yet unlocking intimate vulnerabilities in recitative; an immense and unforgettable pleasure to have experienced on a New Zealand stage.”
The New Zealand Herald – April 1, 2019
“The resounding success of the recital rested not only on the ingenuity of its makeup, and the excellent taste shown in the selection, but also in Graham’s vocal skills in projecting such a wide range of emotions. Her singing of the Schumann cycle conveyed rapture, and a pair of Edvard Grieg songs elicited the most heroic singing of the evening.”
The News-Gazette – February 10, 2019
“The fourth movement, setting lines from Nietzsche and finally bringing the work into the human realm, was glowingly put across by mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, at just the right point between confiding and awestruck.”
The Guardian – September 3, 2018
“Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham is a powerful force as the driven title character, who is not above stomping on anyone, including her husband and daughter, to get what she wants. Graham delivers Regina’s imperious presence effectively while also capably handling arias such as the telling number, ‘The Best Thing of All’, in Act I as she describes her lust for wealth and material glory.”
“…But none of those ladies could surpass the performance of mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in this production. With keen intelligence and consummate authority she absolutely nails it.
In this she leads a cast who bring not only sublime operatic voices, but wonderful acting ability.”
“In the title role, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham (who usually portrays amiable characters) is an imperious force of nature. It’s a demanding role, with an unusually wide vocal range to go with its daunting dramatic requirements; she nailed it in every respect, singing powerfully with acting to match.”
Saint Louis Post-Dispatch – May 27, 2018
“The high point was the title song, sung by Dinah, a sendup of kitschy ’50s Hollywood musical fantasies that Graham brought off hilariously well. The charismatic mezzo-soprano made Dinah truly touching through the warmth of her singing and her subtle way with Lenny’s lyrics.”
The Chicago Tribune – March 11, 2018
“Graham was in superb voice Sunday, the tone velvety even when going full-throttle, the articulation pristine, the phrasing deeply communicative — whatever the text or language.”
Baltimore Sun – April 26, 2017
“Graham’s voice was in top form as she dug into this material with audible delight… The program theme allowed Graham to include more of the French songs that are her specialty, due to both her excellent French pronunciation and her understanding of that delicate style.”
Washington Classical Review – April 24, 2017
“The American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham has for the better part of a decade impressed audiences with her creamy singing and chiseled characterizations…”
The New York Times – October 1, 2000
“America’s favorite mezzo…”
Gramophone Magazine
“It is impossible to take eyes or ears off of Susan Graham whenever she is onstage. At almost 6 feet, the American mezzo-soprano is a commanding presence in opera or concert. And once Graham opens her mouth, a listener can only submit to a lustrous voice that abounds in expressive colors…”
Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Most opera divas don’t do their errands on bikes, especially in New York City. Nor do they scuba-dive off the coast of Thailand. But to creamy-voiced Susan Graham, one of America’s top mezzo-sopranos, such activities come as naturally as recording the music of composer Ned Rorem, performing Kurt Weill’s Broadway songs or taking on the so-called trouser roles in Mozart, Handel and Strauss operas…”
“Graham’s voice is an instrument of extraordinary tonal control, yet seems utterly effortless in production … It is as though she directly addresses each individual in the audience.”
