Susanne Rath

The young soprano Susanne Rath was born in Vienna. She got her first musical training with several years of piano lessons. She started her voice studies with Prof. Margaret Zimmermann at the Conservatory of the City of Vienna. From 1997 to 1999 she participated at the Operettenlehrgang with Lucia Meschwitz and Prof. Leopold Großmann. In 1999 she started studying at the Opernschule of the Conservatory of the City of Vienna with Lucia Meschwitz and Christian Pollack, followed by studies from 2000 with Julia Conwell, KS Edith Lienbacher and Colleen Ray Holmes, also in Vienna. In 2002 she finished the Opernschule with honors. Susanne Rath attended several master classes, among others, with KS Silvia Greenberg, KS Walter Berry and KS Patricia Wise. Furthermore she took acting classes with Doris Richter. Currently she works with Carol Richardson.

Susanne Rath has won several voice competitions:

• 3rd Prize at the 1. International Heinrich Strecker Competition in September 2001
  
• Winner at the 2. International Heinrich Strecker Competitionin September 2003
  
• Finalist at the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition July 2005
• 1^st Prize at the 20^th Nico Dostal Operetta Competition November 2005

As early as in 1997 Susanne Rath gave her stage debut as Hannerl in Das Dreimäderlhaus at the Wiener Bezirskfestwochen. In 1998 a tour of the same operetta followed with the Operettenbühne Wien under Heinz Hellberg. From 1998 to 2001 she sang with the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor at the Salzburg Festival. In 1998 she sang a Lehrbub in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Volksoper Vienna.

In 2000 she returned to the Wiener Bezirksfestwochen as Fiametta in Boccaccio and the following year as Hannelore in Das Glück is a Vogerl zurück. Also in 2001 she was on tour with Operettenbühne Wien as Franzi in Ein Walzertraum. In 2002 she sang O Lia San in Victoria und ihr Husar by Paul Abraham at the Operetta Festival Bad Hall. In the fall of 2002 she undertook a tour throughout Japan with the Stadttheater Baden as Lisa in Gräfin Mariza eine Japantournee. In summer 2004 she sang Papagena (Die Zauberflöte) at the Sommerfestival Mozart in Reinsberg.

With the beginning of the season 2004/05 Susanne Rath is a member of the ensemble of Theater Erfurt. There she sang among others the Witch Hillary (Witch Hillary goes to the  Opera), Sand- and Taumännchen (Hänsel and Gretel), Olga (Dollarprincess), Mercedita/Ofelia1 (World premiere of Cuba Libre), Euridice (Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo), Marie (Zar and Zimmermann), Wanda (The Großherzogin from Gerolstein), 1. Knappe (Parsifal), Hirt (Tannhäuser), Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana) Papagena, Gretel (Hänsel and Gretel) Valencienne (The Merry Widow). In the season 2007/08 she guested a.o. as Hortense (Der Opernball) at Stadttheater Hildesheim and sang in Erfurt among others Anita (The Queen of Roses), Ciboletta (One Night in Venice), Euridice, Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia) and Lisa (Der zerbrochene Krug).

In 2008/2009 Susanne Rath sings in Erfurt Stella (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Sophie (Werther), Arsena (Der Zigeunerbaron), the kitchen boy (Rusalka), Papagena and Gretel.