The Shepherd School of Music
SUSAN LORETTE DUNN
Artist Teacher of Voice
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Susan Lorette Dunn studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane Australia, graduating with both a Bachelor of Music Degree(Vocal Performance and Teaching) and a Graduate Diploma of Music ( Opera ). She made her debut with Opera Australia performing the role of Tzietel in Fiddler On The Roof. Her Opera Queensland debut was as Frasquita in Carmen. Other roles in her repertoire have included Lola-Cavalleria Rusticana, Dorabella-Cosi Fan Tutte, Dido-Dido and Aeneas, Earth-The Eighth Wonder, Musetta-La Boheme, Valencienne-The Merry Widow, Mlle Dangeville-Adriana Lecouvreur, Stephano-Romeo and Juliet, Cornelia- Damascus, Laetitia -The Old Maid and the Thief ,Lucy-The Beggars Opera, Catherine-Seeking True South and The Water Nymph-The Golden Axe.
Miss Dunn has performed and recorded as soloist with ABC Australia and with many of Australia’s major orchestras. Since moving to the USA in 2002 Miss Dunn has sung concert performances with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Chicago Philharmonic, San Antonio Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, El Paso Symphony, Dayton Symphony, Grand Teton Music Festival, Connecticut’s Summer Music Festival, Interlochen Music Festival, Sunflower Music Festival, Cactus Pear Music Festival and the Martinu Philharmonic, Czech Republic. Performances this year include concert appearances with the Toledo Symphony, Camerata of San Antonio and the Spokane Symphony. Miss Dunn has premiered Australian vocal works in concert both nationally and internationally, and has recorded Australian composition for EMI/ Jade. Composers David Heuser, Betty Beath, Stephen Lalor, David Hush and Paul Keelan have written for her.
Miss Dunn has won many major Australian singing competitions including the State and Commonwealth Finals of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition, an Opera Foundation Scholarship, an Australia Council Grant for study in the UK, an Arts Queensland Personal Development Grant, and most recently a prestigious Winston Churchill Fellowship where she worked with the New York Festival of Song in New York City. As a result of her Churchill Fellowship, Susan launched her company Songfest in 2007 with the program “ A Little Bit In Love”. Songfest is dedicated to the re-invention of the Song Recital with special emphasis on Australian and American Song.
Miss Dunn’s international performances include the British premiere of Kurt Weill’s Street Scene in London’s West End, a tour of Pirates of Penzance – The Ballet, an American Music Theatre Gala in Tel – Aviv, Israel and Bernstein on Broadway for Leonard Bernstein – An 80th Anniversary Celebration. Miss Dunn has performed major roles throughout Australia in Musical Theatre, which include Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, Aspects of Love (The Really Useful Company), Baby (Queensland Theatre Company), Nunsense II (Mixed Company), Lucky Me (Tropic Line Theatre Company), Into The Woods (Opera Australia), A Little Night Music (Sydney Theatre Company) and Kiss Me Kate (Andrew McKinnon Concert Productions).
Additionally she has both produced and performed as a soloist in concert performances of Aspects of Romance, Broadway Showstoppers, No Tune like a Show Tune and Leading Ladies. She has also produced and performed in Bernstein on Broadway, a show she conceived for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Susan Lorette Dunn has been instrumental as an educator as well as maintaining her full-time performing career. She has held positions as lecturer at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, where she also devised programs in music theatre skills. She is currently teaching and lecturing within the Voice and Opera Faculty of the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Houston. Miss Dunn has also taught at the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Ital,y and the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina.
Susan Lorette Dunn currently lives in Houston with her husband, conductor Larry Rachleff and their young son, Sammy.