British-born Canadian mezzo-soprano Susan Platts brings a uniquely rich and wide-ranging voice to the concert and recital repertoire for alto and mezzo-soprano. She is particularly acclaimed for her performances of Gustav Mahler’s works.

In May of 2004, as part of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, world-renowned soprano Jessye Norman chose Susan Platts from 26 candidates world-wide to be her protégée. Since then, she has had the honor of mentoring with Ms Norman. With the generous support of Rolex, Susan Platts commissioned a new work for mezzo-soprano and orchestra from the Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich. Under the Watchful Sky comprises of three songs that use ancient Chinese texts from Shi Jing (The Book of Songs), which explore the universal passions and tribulations of human kind.

During past seasons, she has performed at Teatro alla Scala, Teatro di San Carlo, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and with orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra, L’Orchestre de Paris, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy, American Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony. She has collaborated with many conductors including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Roberto Abbado, Sir Andrew Davis, Christoph Eschenbach, Keith Lockhart, Jane Glover, Jeffery Kahane, Kent Nagano, Peter Oundjian, Itzhak Perlman, Helmuth Rilling, Bramwell Tovey, Osmo Vänska, and Pinchus Zuckerman. She has appeared on many distinguished art song series including the Vocal Arts Society at the Kennedy Center, the Ladies Morning Musical Club in Montreal, the “Art of the Song” Series at Lincoln Center and the Frick Museum Series in New York.

In summer 2012 she sang 3rd Secretary to Chairman Mao Nixon in China with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer at the BBC Proms in London and then at the Berlin Festival. Recent roles include Florence Pike Albert Herring (Pacific Opera Victoria/Vancouver Opera) Erda Das Rheingold and Hippolyta A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pacific Opera Victoria). In autumn 2017 she will make her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Third Lady Die Zauberflöte.

Susan Platts has recorded Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde for Fontec Records with Gary Bertini conducting the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, a CD of dramatic sacred art songs with pianist Dalton Baldwin, Gustav Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Smithsonian Chamber Players and Santa Fe Pro Musica for Dorian Records and Brahms Zwei Gesänge with Steven Dann and Lambert Orkis on the ATMA label. She recently recorded her first solo disc of Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, also on the ATMA label.