Susanne Mentzer, regarded as one of the finest lyric mezzo-sopranos of her time, enjoyed an international career spanning more than four decades. From 1989–2016, she performed leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera and appeared with major opera companies, orchestras, and chamber music venues across four continents, including La Scala, Opéra de Paris, Salzburg Festival, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper, Barcelona’s Liceu, and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. She also performed with renowned ensembles such as the Wiener Philharmoniker, London Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and leading American orchestras.
A specialist in the music of Mozart, Mentzer was also acclaimed for her performances in the operas of Richard Strauss and Berlioz, among others.
As a mentor and educator, she currently teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Previously, she served as Professor at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and at DePaul University in Chicago. She has also taught in the summers at SongFest, Merola Opera Program, and the Taos Opera Institute. Mentzer serves on the Boards of Directors of the Sullivan Foundation and the George and Nora London Foundation, both of which support promising young singers through competitive awards.
Her discography includes more than 25 recordings of opera, oratorio, and song. She has appeared numerous times on PBS broadcasts, including Live from Lincoln Center and Live from the Met, as well as the Metropolitan Opera’s worldwide cinema broadcasts.
Born in Philadelphia and raised in Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico, Mentzer fell in love with opera while working as an usher. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The Juilliard School and trained with the Houston Opera Studio and renowned teacher Norma Newton.
