"Susan Hellman offered a thoughtful, dramatic reading of the soprano solo. Her voice is at once operatic, yet clearly intelligible, providing the music and poetry with both direction and precision"
-The Classical Voice of North Carolina, Harrison Russin
BIO
Celebrated by Opera News for her “perfect yearningly optimistic coloring—golden and radiant," and by Classics Today for her “impressive instrument,” soprano Susan Hellman Spatafora has performed with such companies as Palm Beach Opera, Opera Tampa, Sarasota Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Central City Opera, South Florida Lyric Opera and Green Mountain Opera. Most recently, Spatafora “turned in a blazing performance” (Talkin’ Broadway) in the title role of Suor Angelica with the St. Petersburg Opera Company and performed the roles of Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen with Opera Tampa and Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème with Lakeland Opera. Other recent roles have included in Leïla in Les pêcheurs de perles, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, Giulietta in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Clotilde in Norma, and Anna in Puccini’s Le Villi. Spatafora can also be seen in the title role in the 2017 Naxos DVD release of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. Spatafora’s upcoming engagements include the role of Rosalinde in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus with Gulfshore Opera, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly with Opera Tampa and the Governess in Britten’s Turn of the Screw with IlluminArts at Vizcaya.
A frequent art song recitalist and soloist, Spatafora’s recent concert appearances include Verdi's Requiem, Mozart's Mass in C minor, Bach's Magnificat, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Andrea Clearfield’s The Long Bright and the world premiere of Allan Friedman’s With Perfect Faith. Spatafora’s 2020 online concerts include collaborative recitals with the St. Petersburg Opera Co., IlluminArts, and a performance of Marcos Balter’s Ear, Skin, and Bone Riddles with the New World Symphony.
Spatafora has been recognized for her rich soprano voice as a prize winner in competitions including the Florida Grand Opera Young Patronesses of the Opera competition, the Palm Beach Opera International Vocal Competition, and the National Society of Arts and Letters Voice Competition. A graduate of the master’s program in voice at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and bachelor’s program in voice from Indiana University, Ms. Spatafora has been a participant in the EPCASO and Opera Lucca programs in Italy, as well as young artist programs at Central City Opera, Sarasota Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. Spatafora now makes her home in St. Petersburg, FL.
VIDEO
Select Performances
Oct-2021 Governess - The Turn of the Screw (Britten) IlluminArts Miami
Oct-2021 Governess - The Turn of the Screw (Britten) IlluminArts Miami
24-Apr-21 Cio-Cio-San - Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Opera Tampa
Mar-2021 Rosalinde - Die Fledermaus (Strauss) Gulfshore Opera
7-Nov-20 Soprano Soloist - Ear, Skin, & Bone Riddles (Balter) New World Symphony
22-Oct-20 Soprano Soloist - POPera Concert St. Petersburg Opera Co.
5-Apr-20 Soprano Soloist - Mass in B Minor (Bach) Tampa Oratorio Singers CANCELED
21-Mar-20 Recital - Opera & Dance: From Picasso to Hockney Exhibition at MFA CANCELED
19-Mar-20 Recital - Opera & Dance: From Picasso to Hockney Exhibition at MFA CANCELED
12-Mar-20 Recital - Opera Through the Ages: St. Petersburg Opera Co. at MFA
9-Mar-20 Recital - Opera Favorites for All: St. Petersburg Opera Co. at Monte Carlo Towers
8-Mar-20 Recital - Opera Favorites for All: St. Petersburg Opera Co. at St. Mary's Winter Concert Series
7-Mar-20 Recital - Opera Through the Ages: St. Petersburg Opera Co. at MFA
29-Feb-20 Recital - Opera Through the Ages: St. Petersburg Opera Co. at MFA
9-Feb-20 Micaëla - Carmen (Bizet) Opera Tampa
8-Feb-20 Micaëla - Carmen (Bizet) Opera Tampa
7-Feb-20 Micaëla - Carmen (Bizet) Opera Tampa
7
18-Jan-20 Mimì - La Bohème (Puccini) Lakeland Opera/ Imperial Symphony Orchestra
10-Dec-19 Soprano Soloist - Messiah (Handel) Tampa Oratorio Singers
9-Dec-19 Soprano Soloist - Messiah (Handel) Tampa Oratorio Singers
3-Nov-19 Soprano Soloist - Elijah (Mendelssohn) Tampa Oratorio Singers
6-Oct-19 Performing Artist Series Concert All Saints Church Lakeland
21-May-19 Suor Angelica - Suor Angelica (Puccini) St. Petersburg Opera Co.
19-May-19 Suor Angelica - Suor Angelica (Puccini) St. Petersburg Opera Co.
17-May-19 Suor Angelica - Suor Angelica (Puccini) St. Petersburg Opera Co.
17-Mar-19 Leïla - Les Pêcheurs de Perles (Bizet) Opera Tampa
15-Mar-19 Leïla - Les Pêcheurs de Perles (Bizet) Opera Tampa
22-Feb-19 Opera Guild Luncheon performance with Samuel Hall, tenor St. Petersburg Opera Guild
21-Feb-19 Senior Luncheon performance with Samuel Hall, tenor Congregation Schaarai Zedek
17-Feb-19 Valentine's Day Luncheon Opera Orlando
19-Nov-18 Seasonal Sparkle St. Petersburg Opera Co.
18-Nov-18 Seasonal Sparkle St. Petersburg Opera Co.
11-Dec-18 Soprano Soloist - Messiah (Handel) Tampa Oratorio Singers
09-Dec-18 Soprano Soloist - Messiah (Handel) Tampa Oratorio Singers
18-Nov-18 Soprano Soloist - 50th Anniversary Concert Tampa Oratorio Singers
08-Nov-18 Cocktails with the Maestro: 7 Very Unwise Moments in Opera St. Petersburg Opera Co.
04-Nov-18 Straz Live Opera Tampa
02-Nov-18 Mornings with the Maestro: 7 Very Unwise Moments in Opera St. Petersburg Opera Co.
01-Nov-18 Evenings with the Maestro: 7 Very Unwise Moments in Opera St. Petersburg Opera Co.
28-Oct-18 Soprano Soloist - Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven) and Neue Liebeslieder Walzer (Brahms) The Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation
07-Oct-18 Soprano Soloist - Missa in Angustiis (Franz Josef Haydn) Tampa Oratorio Singers
25-Mar-18 Soprano Soloist - Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 (Johannes Brahms) Tampa Oratorio Singers
SCHEDULE
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