The light-lyric soprano Susanna Martin studied theology before taking up studies in singing. She began her vocal training with Prof. Elisabeth Jalbert in Hamburg and went on to study voice with Gabriella Lichter-Maxande at the Detmold Academy of Music,
gaining her Konzertexamen recital diploma in 2000. She also took part in numerous master classes, notably with Edith Mathis, Judith Beckmann, Helmuth Kretschmar, Norman Shetler, Mitsuko Shirai, Hartmut Höll and Barbara Schlick.
Susanna Martin won a DAAD scholarship and was a prizewinner at the Bundeswettbewerb Gesang. She was also awarded the German Schubert Society's prize for lied interpretation.
She has performed major oratorio works like G.F. Handel's "Messiah" or J. Brahms'
"Ein deutsches Requiem" with the NDR-Sinfonieorchester Hannover, the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie and others. She collaborates with early music ensembles such as Neue Düsseldorfer Hofmusik and Harmonie Universelle directed by Florian Deuter.
Her appearances have included a Proms concert in London with the Berlin Radio Choir
and the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Ingo Metzmacher, and a performance with the New York Philharmonic under Kurt Masur, both H.W. Henze's 9. Symphony.
She also works together with conductors like Friedrich Haider, Markus Stenz, Karel Mark Chichon and Reinhard Goebel. Since the summer of 2002 she has sung at the Bayreuther Festspiele, where she appeared in roles like the first Edelknabe in both "Lohengrin" and "Tannhäuser" and the Hirtenknabe in "Tannhäuser" in several performances on stage and in concerts under the baton of Sir Andrew Davis and Christian Thielemann.
Following these successes concert engagements take her throughout Germany and Europe. In October 2008 she has performed C. Orff's "Carmina Burana" in Malaga, Antequera and Almunecar, in the Philharmonie of Cologne F. Mendelssohn's "Paulus" and in January 2009 Susanna Martin has sung her first concert in Asia with the Singapur Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano.
Susanna Martin has made CD recordings of lieder by Frank Martin and settings of poems by Heinrich Heine ("Lyrisches Intermezzo" with pianist Cord Garben). In June 2010 the WDR-Rundfunkorchester produced with her Paul Abraham's Operette "Ball im Savoy".
Her special passion, besides oratorio, is designing lied and chamber music programmes
which she performs with different musicians depending on the nature of each project.
In 2006 and in 2007 her recitals
"daz wunder überwundert mich hât - Altes und Neues über die Liebe"
and
"Les roses étaient toutes rouges... - über Musik und Lebensgefühl im französischen Impressionismus"
were broadcast as part of the WDR3 Nachtmusik series.
Susanna Martin works also as vocal coach of the ensemble BonnSonata.
She is a member of the German Association of Singing Teachers.
