Biography
Soprano Susan Hellman Spatafora has been celebrated by Opera News for her “perfect, yearningly optimistic coloring – golden and radiant,” and by Classics Today for her “impressive instrument.” She cherishes bringing to life characters on the operatic stage, performing concert and oratorio works, singing in recital, and sharing the wonders of classical music with audiences everywhere.
Spatafora’s recent portrayal of Donna Anna in Opera in Williamsburg’s production of Don Giovanni was deemed “musically and dramatically revelatory, divulging seldom-explored subtleties of the character and introducing a superb operatic talent” (Voix des Arts). Her other recent roles have included Wendy in Paul Moravec’s The Shining, Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, both Mimì and Musetta in La Bohème, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Nedda in Pagliacci, the title role in Suor Angelica, Micaëla in Carmen, Leïla in Les pêcheurs de perles, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, Giulietta and Antonia in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, and Anna in Puccini’s Le Villi. Spatafora can also be seen in the title role in the St. Petersburg Opera’s world premiere video recording of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, released on Naxos in 2017.
In the 2026-27 season, Spatafora returns to Opera Tampa to perform the role of Alice Ford in Falstaff, and to St. Petersburg Opera to play Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. She has previously enjoyed singing with companies including Opera in Williamsburg, Gulfshore Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Opera Orlando, Sarasota Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Green Mountain Opera and Central City Opera.
Recently, Spatafora sang Marcos Balter’s Ear, Skin, and Bone Riddles in the New World Symphony’s virtual program, “Adams X Adams,” which she “delivered with a rich timbre, bell-like high notes and great clarity” (South Florida Classical Review). A frequent guest artist with the Tampa Oratorio Singers, Spatafora performs as soprano soloist in the 2026-27 season in Verdi's Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. She has previously soloed in Mozart's Mass in C minor, Bach's Magnificat, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Handel’s Dixit Dominus, and Dvořák’s Stabat Mater. She also recently performed in a concert of music by Lerner and Loewe with the Will Rogers Stage Foundation in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Spatafora’s other appearances as guest soloist have included a quartet version of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Liszt) and Brahms’ Liebeslieder-Walzer with the Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation; Andrea Clearfield’s The Long Bright with the North Carolina Women’s Voices Chorus; the world premiere of Allan Friedman’s With Perfect Faith with the Duke Vespers Ensemble; Whispering Pines 10, an installment of artist Shana Moulton’s internet soap opera with music by Nick Hallett; and engagements with the Tampa Bay Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, and the Helena Symphony.
An avid art song recitalist, Spatafora has recently sung programs with Opera Orlando, and with IlluminArts at the Bass Museum, Miami Center for Architecture & Design, and in the virtual concert “Unmasked” in collaboration with ICA Miami and Girl Power.
Spatafora has won prizes in 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, 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.
Alongside her performance career, Spatafora served as the Associate Director of Development for St. Petersburg Opera for seven years. She currently works as a publicist supporting musicians, institutions and record labels, and is proud to spread the joy and magic of classical music to all.