Susanne Kreusch was born in Freiburg, Breisgau, she studied voice with Professor Liselotte Hammes at the Academy of Music in Cologne, obtaining a concert diploma and graduating with distinction.

Her first opera engagement was at the Pfalz Theater Kaiserslautern, where she made her debut as Dorabella and Octavian. Two years later she moved to the Halle Opera House, where she appeared in roles such as Sesto, Dorabella, Mercédès in Carmen, Orlowsky, and Octavia in The Coronation of Poppea

In 2000, the director Harry Kupfer and the conductor Jakov Kreizberg cast her as Sesto in the new production of “La Clemenza di Tito” at the Komische Oper Berlin, where she later became a member of the ensemble until 2006. At the Komische Oper Susanne Kreusch has sung roles such as Fjodor, Mercédès, Smeraldine in The Love for the Three Oranges, Tkachikha (The Court Weaver) in Tsar Saltan, Meg Page, Rosina, Suzuki in the new production of Madame Butterfly directed by Calixto Bieito and Dorabella in the new production of Cosi fan tutte directed by Peter Konwitschny under the baton of Kyrill Petrenko. As the Fairy in Pinocchio -a children’s opera - the mezzo-soprano was a great success with her young audience. Today, Susanne Kreusch continues her relationship with the Komische Oper Berlin as a guest soloist. In 2010/11 she appeared as Cherubino at this venue.

The young mezzo-soprano has made guest appearances at theatres such as Deutsche Oper Berlin, Cologne Opera House, National Theater Mannheim, Staatstheater Am Gaertnerplatz Munich, Staatstheater Schwerin, Theater Erfurt, Theater Kiel, Halle Opera House, Teatro Poliziano di Montepulciano and at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin where she appeared as Mercédès in Martin Kusej’s new production of Carmen under Daniel Barenboim with a revival in the season of 2007/08 (TV direct broadcasting by ARTE in July 2006).

Susanne sang the part of Teresa in La Somnambula at the Deutsche Oper Berlin conducted by Daniel Oren and directed by John Dew in 2005/06 and 2006/07. She appeared very successfully in the title role of Handel’s opera Amadigi at the Handel Festival of Halle 2006 under Wolfgang Katschner, further performances of this production took place in 2007 at various festivals. At the Halle Opera House she guested as Sesto in Mozart’s Titus and at the Staatstheater Am Gaertnerplatz in Munich as Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte. In December 2006, Susanne Kreusch  appeared to great acclaim with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in concerts of Humperdinck’s Haensel and Gretel under Mark Elder. In 2007, Susanne sang Smeraldine in L`amour aux Trois Oranges at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa under Michail and Dimitri Jurowski. In 2007/08 she was the first cast for Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Staatstheater Schwerin (revival in 2008/09). In 2009, Susanne Kreusch returned to the Staatstheater Am Gaertnerplatz Munich singing Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro. At the Halle Handel Festival 2009 she appeared with great success in the title role of Handel`s Serse, a production with which Susanne also guested at various festivals such as Hanover Herrenhausen, Bayreuth Baroque as well as at the Warsaw Philharmony. In the summer of 2009 she sang Hansel in the 'Burg Arena' of the Reinsberg festival (Austria) directed by Michael Sturminger, conducted by Martin Haselboeck. In the season of 2009/10 she appeared as Sesto and made her role-debut as Ratmir in Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmila and as Lazuli in Chabrier’s L’Etoile at the Theater Bielefeld.

Engagments in 2011/12 include: Niklausse/La Muse in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Komische Oper Berlin, the Page in Guy Joosten’s new production of R. Strauss’ Salome at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels under the baton of Maestro Carlo Rizzi, and the title-role in Handel’s Rinaldo at the Warsaw Philharmony Hall with the Lautten Compagney under Wolfgang Katschner.

Susanne Kreusch has furthermore worked with distinguished conductors such as Ivan Törzs, Adam Fischer, Jiri Kout, Alexander Anissimov, Paul Goodwin, Constantinos Carydis and Roger Epple, and with stage directors such as Andreas Homoki, Willy Decker, Uwe Eric Lauffenberg, Anthony Pilavachi; and Barry Kosky.

Last update September 2011

Photo:Andreas Fechner