Susan Ellis graduated from The Australian National University with a Bachelor and Master of Music, and was awarded the Kornfeld Graduate Scholarship for Singers. She was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where she also undertook a teaching fellowship with Robert Alderson on the teaching of young men. She studied her Certificate 1 in Italian in Florence and has studied at the Goethe Institute. Susan is currently is coaching with Narelle French and Josh Hecht.
As a concert soloist, Susan has performed with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and the Zheijing Symphony Orchestra in China. In Canberra she has appeared in recital for the Australian National University, Pro Musica, Friends of Opera, Canberra Choral Society, RMC Band Music at Midday, National Museum, Gallery and Library of Australia, as well as the Finnish, New Zealand, English and Austrian Embassies.
In 2004 Susan joined Opera Queensland as a Developing artist and a
member of the Moving Opera! Team and then in 2005 to 2008 was a Young
artist and then principal artists with the company. Throughout this time she appeared in many concerts such as Breakfast with Bernstein, Mozart and Moonlight and
Fantasie in the Gardens with the Brisbane Army Band for the 4MBS
Festival of Classics, Opera from the Verandah and the ENERGEX Brisbane
Festival Lunchtime Cabaret Concert Series. The City Hall 75th
Anniversary Concert, Opera in the Canefields (Beenleigh), Opera at the
Rock (Ipswich), Opera in the Rainforest, (Sunshine Coast), Speed on
Tweed (Murwillumbah), Summertime (QPAC), and Opera in the Outback
(Undara) where she performed the role of Violetta in a semi-staged
version of La Traviata also recently reprised for 2006 Opera at the
Rock and 2007 for the opening of the Majestic Theatre. In addition,
she understudied the roles of Miss Jessel in the Company’s production
of The Turn of the Screw and Rosalinde in their touring production of
Die Fledermaus in which she also performed the role of Ida. Susan
toured throughout Central and Western Queensland in the concert
production of The Food of Love.