Susan Chilcott

Susan Chilcott (8 July 1963 – 4 September 2003) was a British soprano, considered one of the best of her generation. While achieving worldwide fame among the aficionados of opera and classical music in general, she failed to become a household name, something which she would have undoubtedly have done but for her untimely death from breast cancer at the age of 40. She had success in many of the major opera houses around the world and was particularly know for her interpretation of Britten and Janacek

Early Life

Susan Chilcott was born in the village of Timsbury, near Bath, England. Her talent was obvious from an early age. She sang in chapels and community halls in the area as well in school assemblies at Writhlington Comprehensive School, near Bath, which she attended between 1974 and 1979. She was a reserved girl, with a rebellious streak, possibly due to her innate artistic ability. She was also an average student and in no way an intellectual. These characteristics appear to have continued through her further studies and musical career.

At the age of 12 her talent was noted by Mollie Petrie, a singing teacher, who remained with her as a singing coach and advisor for the rest of her career. In 1982, she started studying at the Guildhall School of Music, where her tutor was Noelle Barker.

Singing Career

Her operatic debut was as the First Lady in The Magic Flute, in Oviedo in 1991. In that year she also sang with the Scottish Opera. The performance which could be described as her major breakthrough, bringing her to the attention of a wider audience, was her interpretation of Ellen Orford in Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes at La Monnaie in Belguim in 1994. During the next few years, she had huge success in Europe, singing roles from Verdi, Boesman, Dvorak, Britten and Janacek. Indeed, her performance in 1999 in Janacek’s Katya Kabanova was considered by many critics to be one of her best.

Another triumphant performance was in 2001 at Glyndebourne as Desdemona in Sir Peter Hall’s production of Otello. In 2002 she sang opposite Plácido Domingo in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades at Convent Garden. Apart from her operatric work, she also gave concerts, often with pianist Iain Burnside, a close friend, and with him and the actress Fiona Shaw, gave intimate poetry recitals.

Illness and Death

In 2001, Chilcott was diagnosed with breast cancer, but recovered sufficiently to return to the stage. In 2003, she relapsed, and died on 4 September 2003, aged 40.

Family Life

Susan Chilcott was raised by adoptive parents. In adulthood, she had a relationship, which produced her only son, Hugh, and later married her agent, David Sigall.

Scholarship

After her death, a scholarship, known as the Susan Chilcott Scholarship, was set up to help aspiring singers with their careers. Its patron is Plácido Domingo and the trustees are Dame Josephine Barstow, Iain Burnside, Neal Davies, Jonathan Dimbleby, Anthony Freud, Alan Parker and Shaun Woodward.