Susan Gritton

Gritton was born in Reigate, Surrey. She was educated at the University of Oxford and the University of London, where she studied Botany. She sang with the Clerkes of Oxenford, Monteverdi Choir and Hanover Band Chorus. Early on, she was inspired by the singing of Lucia Popp on The Cunning Little Vixen recording conducted by Charles Mackerras.

On the operatic stage, her roles include Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes (La Scala, Sydney and Tokyo); Blanche in Dialogues des Carmélites (Bayerische Staatsoper); Countess Madeleine in Capriccio and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin (Grange Park); Micaela in Carmen and Liù in Turandot (Covent Garden); Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Bolshoi, Opéra de Montreal and Scottish Opera); Elettra in Idomeneo (Netherlands Opera) and Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Deutsche Staatsoper and Bayerische Staatsoper). Title roles include Theodora (Glyndebourne), Rodelinda (Bayerische Staatsoper), The Bartered Bride (Covent Garden), and The Cunning Little Vixen (ENO).

On the concert platform her work spans many periods and styles and includes Ravel's Shéhérazade (RLPO/Mackerras); Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem (Berlin Philharmonic/Rattle & Philharmonia/von Dohnànyi); Berg's Bruchstücke aus Wozzeck (Swedish Radio Orchestra/Harding) and Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher (Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Pappano). Other highlights include Handel's Messiah (ROH Orchestra/Pappano); Elgar's The Kingdom (LSO/Elder); Shostakovich's Blok Romances (Nash Ensemble); Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri at the Edinburgh Festival (SCO/Norrington) and in Vienna (Vienna Philharmonic/Rattle) and Britten's Les Illuminations – including the world premiere of Britten's three additional Rimbaud settings (BBCSSO/Brabbins). A Grammy-nominated artist, she has recorded prolifically for Chandos, Hyperion, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Decca, Philips and Collins Classics among others.

Gritton had no formal "British college or conservatoire training". She is married to the opera director Stephen Medcalf.

• 1994: Kathleen Ferrier Award
• 2003: International Handel Recording Prize for Handel's The Choice of Hercules
• 2003: Gramophone Award for Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Masses