Susannah Wapshott was born and educated in Shropshire and, while at school, performed regularly around the UK at venues such as St. John’s, Smith Square, the Edinburgh Festival, and in Boston, USA, which included a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 23. In 2001, Susannah became BBC Shropshire’s Young Musician of the Year with a performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto.
Susannah read music at Manchester University followed by six months teaching at a music school in Honduras, Central America. On her return she was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Northern College of Music, studying with John Gough, where she attained a Master’s degree in Accompaniment with a Distinction in both her final recital and dissertation, which explored Ivor Gurney’s “Shropshire Lad” song cycles. Susannah continued her studies as a Junior Fellow in Accompaniment at the RNCM and was coached by Benjamin Frith, David Jones, Julius Drake and Ian Brown among others. She was awarded the RNCM prize for Accompaniment. At this time she played with a piano trio based in Yorkshire and performed regularly as an accompanist in recitals with singers and instrumentalists.
Susannah then discovered the world of opera and decided to embark on a career as a repetiteur. She spent a summer with British Youth Opera in 2007 and was awarded scholarships from the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund and the RSAMD to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, followed by a year as the Scottish Opera Repetiteur Fellow, again supported by the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund. She was also awarded the RSAMD James H Geddes Repetiteur Award. In 2010, Scottish Opera made her a permanent member of Music Staff.
Susannah made her debut as a conductor in the critically acclaimed staged production of Carmina Burana at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. At Scottish Opera, she was appointed Associate Chorus Master in 2018, having chorus mastered several productions since 2015, including Rigoletto, Edgar, Il Trovatore and Orfeo ed Euridice. She has been Assistant Conductor on Scottish Opera’s Katya Kabanova, Greek, The Trial, Macbeth and Music Director/Pianist for the critically acclaimed tours of Carmen, La Traviata, Rodelinda and Macbeth. Susannah has worked on over forty productions for Scottish Opera.
Susannah is in demand as a private vocal coach and has also worked as a repetiteur for Polish National Opera and Opera North. She was Music Director of Edinburgh Grand Opera from 2014-2017, conducting L’elisir d’amore, La boheme and The Pilgrim’s Progress, and conducted La Traviata for Haddo House Opera. Susannah was recently appointed Music Director of Helensburgh Oratorio Choir and will be conducting the Grampian Youth Orchestra in 2019.
Susannah Wapshott is from Shropshire and read Music at Manchester University followed by scholarships to the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where she won prizes for piano accompaniment and repetiteurs. Susannah started working at Scottish Opera as a junior repetiteur in 2008 and is now on the permanent Music Staff, having worked on over forty productions. She made her conducting debut with Carmina Burana at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009 and has since been Assistant Conductor at Scottish Opera for Katya Kabanova, Greek, The Trial, Orfeo ed Euridice and Macbeth, and Music Director/Pianist for the critically acclaimed small-scale tours of Carmen, La Traviata, Rodelinda and Macbeth. She is also Scottish Opera’s Associate Chorus Master and has prepared the chorus for Rigoletto, Edgar, Le nozze di Figaro, L’amico Fritz, Il Trovatore and Orfeo ed Euridice, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Beyond Scottish Opera, Susannah has recently been appointed Music Director for the Helensburgh Oratorio Choir and invited to conduct the Grampian Youth Orchestra. Susannah was Music Director for Edinburgh Grand Opera 2014-2017, conducting productions of L’elisir d’amore and La Bohéme and conducted La Traviata for Haddo House Opera in 2017. She has repetiteured for other companies, including Opera North and Polish National Opera. Susannah has gratefully received awards from MBF and the GEMMA Classical Music Trust.