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Susan R. Dunn

Curriculum Vitae

Box 90665, Durham, NC 27708-0665

(email)

• M.Mus. Indiana University at Bloomington, 1980
• B.A. Hendrix College, 1976

• Voice and Opera

Professional Experience / Employment History

Duke University

Professor of the Practice of Music, Music Department, 2001 - present

Associate Professor of the Practice of Music, Music Department, 1994 - 2000

Professional Work

  Recordings

1. S. Dunn, T. Potter, J. Wustman. Hugo Wolf Mörike Lieder.  MSR, February, 2011 .
2. S. Dunn, T. Potter, J. Wustman. Moerike Lieder by Hugo Wolf. 2010 .
3. S. Dunn. Verdi, I Vespri Siciliani, Orchestra del Teatro Communale, Bologna, with Riccardo Chailly, Rereleased on DVD (Kultur, '05). 2005 .
4. S. Dunn. Verdi, Giovanni D'Arco, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale, Bologna, with Riccardo Chailly.  Home Vision Video, 1992 . (VHS and Laserdisc)
5. S. Dunn. Wagner, Die Walkure, Act I, Pittsburgh Symphony, with Lorin Maazel.  Telarc, 1991 .
6. S. Dunn. Mahler, Das klagende Lied, RSO Berlin, with Riccardo Chailly.  London/Decca, 1991 .
7. S. Dunn. Schoenberg, Gurrelieder, RSO Berlin, with Riccardo Chailly.  London/Decca, 1990 .
8. S. Dunn. Susan Dunn: Beethoven, Verdi, and Wagner Arias, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, with Riccardo Chailly.  London/Decca, 1988 .
9. S. Dunn. Verdi, Requiem, Atlanta Symphony, with Robert Shaw.  Telarc, 1987 .
10. S. Dunn. Beethoven, Mass in C, RSO Berlin, with Riccardo Chailly.  London/Decca, 1987 .
11. S. Dunn. Verdi, I Vespri Siciliani, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, with Riccardo Chailly.  Home Vision Video, 1986 .

  Performance Reviews

• Review of Hugo Wolf Moerike Lieder recording
  "That these recordings are treasurable should come as no surprise to Atlantans who remember Ms. Dunn’s terrific performances in our city and her Telarc recordings... Her voice has been described as a spinto soprano, one who combines the limpidity and high notes of a lyric soprano with the power of a dramatic soprano to push on to a dramatic climax without undue strain. These qualities, plus an intelligence that divines the heart of a song and builds up to it unerringly, make her an ideal Wolf interpreter." Phil Muse, Audio Society of Atlanta - March 2011
• Susan Dunn in Recital
  Susan Dunn in Recital by John W. Lambert October 16, 2010, Durham, NC: Susan Dunn, one of several great singers who call the Triangle home, gave a recital in Baldwin Auditorium on Duke University’s East Campus competing with – among other attractions in the immediate vicinity – the Emerson String Quartet. This may have contributed to the small turnout, but those who opted for vocal music as presented by Duke’s Department of Music were richly rewarded at every turn. The soprano, whose deep American roots – she’s from Bauxite, Arkansas – and American training demonstrated once again that our artists can hold their own, anywhere, anytime, conquered the stages of great opera houses around the world, and there was lots of evidence of her prowess during her recital, which embraced four languages and more than that many styles. Pianist David Heid, one of the top accompanists and coaches in the field, was her partner, and since the repertoire involved some substantial keyboard demands and more than a few co-equal solo passages, he really deserved the billing they shared. Things got underway with a lovely Purcell group, including two of the classic songs – “Music for awhile” and “If music be the food of love” – plus “Strike the viol” and, from the oldest opera that remains in the viable repertoire (Dido and Aeneas), the aria, “When I am laid in earth.” If you remembered that one of the first important recordings of the opera involved Kirsten Flagstad who, like Dunn, was a distinguished Wagnerian, then you would have appreciated the majestic power and controlled emotion she brought to her rendition. Three of Pauline Viardot’s settings of Chopin mazurkas followed. These aren’t Chopin’s own (Polish) songs, which have been fairly loudly neglected during the big Chopin year hereabouts, but rather the pianist’s solo pieces, fitted with French words. They cast new light on both artists – Chopin and the great singer, teacher, and composer Viardot-Garcia, whose music has in recent years begun to emerge from obscurity. It’s fun to contemplate those recitals long ago in which Chopin himself played these pieces as she sang them. Dunn was up to them, as well, and Heid was a masterful colleague throughout. A single song by Verdi – “L’esule” – served as a poignant and stirring reminder of Dunn’s great career as a leading dramatic soprano of the Italian school. This is one of a handful of songs by the master, but it’s no piece of cake – it’s really more of a scena than a song. It would please this listener to have Dunn explore more of these rare gems, but for now, the appearance of this item was cause for celebration, all in its own right. But there was more as Dunn and Heid turned to music by Richard Strauss, illuminating the hall with four of that composer’s greatest and most popular Lieder –Ach Lieb, ich muß nun scheiden, “Allerseelen,” “Morgen!,” and “Zueignung.” Of these the most profound was the third, and indeed this may have been the artistic high-water mark of the evening, for the partnership between the two artists was exquisite, and it’s hard to imagine that there were many dry eyes in the hall as Heid began and ended the song with exceptional playing, so perfectly matched by the soprano’s even and restrained vocalism. But there was more as the program drew to a close with an unusual group of Irish folksongs, set by Herbert Hughes. These were as elegant as the rest of the program, and they served as a somewhat lighter but nonetheless richly rewarding cap for an outstanding evening with two of the region’s leading artists. The program was a class act, too, with texts and translations of the French, Italian, and German numbers and notes by the soprano and Duke’s resident Strauss specialist, Bryan Gilliam. Texts of the English and Irish songs would have been helpful, too, but that’s a small quibble in light of overall excellence of the recital.
• Review of Music of the Divine from CVNC
  November 11, 2007, Raleigh, NC: Her extensive opera background stood soprano Susan Dunn in good stead on a brisk Sunday afternoon at the North Carolina Museum of Art. There the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild presented the latest edition of “Sights and Sounds on Sundays.” The soprano, along with the most able support of pianist David Heid, presented a varied program of songs by five composers covering a time spectrum of some two hundred and fifty years. The fact that all the songs were of a sacred nature justified the program title, “Art of the Divine.” Handel’s “Dank sei dir, Herr” set the mood early on with its grand manner and florid accompaniment. Except for certain of the Messiah pieces, this is possibly the composer’s best-known work, usually sung as “Thanks Be to Thee.” (There is a slight irony here since some question arises as to whether Handel actually wrote the piece.) The soaring lines established the superb musicianship of singer and accompanist. The audience next experienced an uncommon side of Respighi, as opposed to his Pines and Fountains. From his Antica poesia popolare armena comes the song “Io sono la Madre” (I am the mother). The singer was able to impart all of the sad drama of such lines as “…forever I am parted from my crucified Child” and “I am the Heart, sad and tearful…” She completely developed the pathos of the grieving character in the relatively short duration of the piece. The enunciation in all three of the Respighi songs was exemplary. This is a proper point in the program to salute the powerful foundation provided by Heid’s piano. Here, that instrument was a near equal partner in establishing the somber mood. Throughout the recital this accompanist seemed supportive and totally responsive to the singer’s dramatic intent. “Wo find’ ich Trost” (Where can I find comfort) was possibly the finest of the Wolf Morike Lieder set. The singer effectively intoned the cries and musings of, e.g., “…what saves me from death and sin?” and “…I writhe in agony on the ground.” Samuel Barber was represented by selections from his Hermit Songs, a set derived from ancient Irish texts. These songs were premiered by Leontyne Price, with the composer accompanying. A memorable selection was “The Desire for Hermitage,” where the moving soliloquy begs “to be alone, all alone” in a little cell. The program closed with songs from Hindemith’s Das Marienleben (The Life of Mary). The charm of these pieces and the skill of their presentation tended to remind one that they are all too seldom heard. The enthusiastic audience experienced an uplifting recital by two skilled artists, made all the more notable by a prodigious feat of memory as Dunn wended her way through these twenty-one songs, in three languages, without so much as the hint of a prompt.
• 
  Dunn & Heid – Musicianship on Display in a Benefit & Memorial Concert by Ken Hoover A concert in Baldwin Auditorium on Duke's East Campus on September 23 was a benefit supporting the John Bartlett Care Fund Endowment, given in memory of Walter W. Heid, brother of the accompanist par excellence, David Heid. The program reminds us that "Walter H. Heid was born in Natrona Heights, PA. A graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in opera, Heid was the Executive Director of the Easter Music Festival in Greensboro for 10 years. During his time at EMF, its endowment increased from less than $20,000 to more than $500,000 and the festival became one of the most prestigious in the country." Soprano Susan Dunn was the featured soloist, and the program included some rarely-heard music by Liszt, Puccini, and Burleigh, some gorgeous art songs, and some selections from Porgy and Bess. It was a delightful evening, displaying the talents of two extraordinary, musically astute talents that grace the Triangle. Dunn opened the program with the familiar anthem, often attributed to Handel but generally agreed not to be his work, "Dank sei dir, Herr" ("Thanks be to Thee"). In the romanticized arrangement of Siegfried Ochs, it was honey in the voice of Dunn and the accompaniment of Heid. To the rich harp-like arpeggios of the accompaniment, Dunn poured out a velvet-smooth, perfectly-controlled sound that melted the heart and nearly brought tears to the eyes – all the things the Romantics sought in their expression of an idealistic existence. A set of infrequently-heard songs by Franz Liszt was a revelation to this music lover. The five we heard are only a handful of over 70 songs he wrote. The accompaniments were wonderfully descriptive and in some cases rather florid. Liszt is quoted in the program notes as referring to some of his earlier songs as "inflatedly sentimental and crammed too full in the accompaniment." Accordingly, he rewrote and reworked many of his earlier works. It is well known that Liszt did not choose the greatest texts, but the melodies and the settings he gave them captured the essence of the poetry and told the stories clearly and musically. Most impressive was the first of the set, "Die drei Zigueuner" ("The three gypsies"), which relates the activities of a gypsy group from the perspective of a passer-by. The accompaniment was almost orchestral as it matched with the voice the lives of the gypsies and the shifting moods of the observer. Dunn and Heid worked together to give a virtual tone poem in this piece. The other Liszt songs had more refined accompaniment, and "Die Lorelei" clearly reflected the influence of Liszt's son-in-law, Richard Wagner. Of course, this influence ran both ways: it is known that Wagner borrowed significant bits of Liszt's work, even in The Ring. Hearing these songs was a most welcome and pleasant experience. With the first three notes of the next set of songs we knew we were in Puccini-Land. For me, "Avanti, Urania" ("Onward, Urania") was reminiscent of Butterfly, though it was different as it developed. Another song, "Sole e amore" ("The Sun and Love"), was a clear borrowing from La Bohème. Others were different, seldom-heard Puccini charmers, all through-composed with no repeats, no melismas (long runs on single vowels), and written with Puccini's great gift for melody in both the vocal line and the accompaniment. Dunn, with marvelously controlled and focused dynamics from pianissimo to fortissimo, sent these songs to the audience with a generous serving of affection. After intermission, we heard two songs by one of the great art song composers, Hugo Wolf. "An eine Aeolsharfe" ("To an Aeolian Harp") is a lament, perhaps harkening back to the early loss of his brother. This was balanced with "Er ist's" ("It is he!"), a more positive song focusing on the hope of new life in the springtime. The thing that struck me while watching Heid playing the grand accompaniment to this song was that the keys of the piano seemed to offer no resistance to his touch. It was as though the piano anticipated it, was prepared for it, and welcomed it. The performance of these two musicians together was indeed high art. It seems that most recitals I have attended recently follow a programming pattern beginning with serious art songs and arias, then winding down with some lighter American or other national songs and concluding with some Gershwin, Kern, or show tunes. This is not a bad way to go! For their Americana selection, Dunn and Heid chose Harry T. Burleigh's Saracen Songs. Many of us have sung and all of us have heard the marvelous settings of plantation songs arranged by Burleigh, but few have heard the other aspects Dunn & Heid – Musicianship on Display in a Benefit & Memorial Concert by Ken Hoover A concert in Baldwin Auditorium on Duke's East Campus on September 23 was a benefit supporting the John Bartlett Care Fund Endowment, given in memory of Walter W. Heid, brother of the accompanist par excellence, David Heid. The program reminds us that "Walter H. Heid was born in Natrona Heights, PA. A graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in opera, Heid was the Executive Director of the Easter Music Festival in Greensboro for 10 years. During his time at EMF, its endowment increased from less than $20,000 to more than $500,000 and the festival became one of the most prestigious in the country." Soprano Susan Dunn was the featured soloist, and the program included some rarely-heard music by Liszt, Puccini, and Burleigh, some gorgeous art songs, and some selections from Porgy and Bess. It was a delightful evening, displaying the talents of two extraordinary, musically astute talents that grace the Triangle. Dunn opened the program with the familiar anthem, often attributed to Handel but generally agreed not to be his work, "Dank sei dir, Herr" ("Thanks be to Thee"). In the romanticized arrangement of Siegfried Ochs, it was honey in the voice of Dunn and the accompaniment of Heid. To the rich harp-like arpeggios of the accompaniment, Dunn poured out a velvet-smooth, perfectly-controlled sound that melted the heart and nearly brought tears to the eyes – all the things the Romantics sought in their expression of an idealistic existence. A set of infrequently-heard songs by Franz Liszt was a revelation to this music lover. The five we heard are only a handful of over 70 songs he wrote. The accompaniments were wonderfully descriptive and in some cases rather florid. Liszt is quoted in the program notes as referring to some of his earlier songs as "inflatedly sentimental and crammed too full in the accompaniment." Accordingly, he rewrote and reworked many of his earlier works. It is well known that Liszt did not choose the greatest texts, but the melodies and the settings he gave them captured the essence of the poetry and told the stories clearly and musically. Most impressive was the first of the set, "Die drei Zigueuner" ("The three gypsies"), which relates the activities of a gypsy group from the perspective of a passer-by. The accompaniment was almost orchestral as it matched with the voice the lives of the gypsies and the shifting moods of the observer. Dunn and Heid worked together to give a virtual tone poem in this piece. The other Liszt songs had more refined accompaniment, and "Die Lorelei" clearly reflected the influence of Liszt's son-in-law, Richard Wagner. Of course, this influence ran both ways: it is known that Wagner borrowed significant bits of Liszt's work, even in The Ring. Hearing these songs was a most welcome and pleasant experience. With the first three notes of the next set of songs we knew we were in Puccini-Land. For me, "Avanti, Urania" ("Onward, Urania") was reminiscent of Butterfly, though it was different as it developed. Another song, "Sole e amore" ("The Sun and Love"), was a clear borrowing from La Bohème. Others were different, seldom-heard Puccini charmers, all through-composed with no repeats, no melismas (long runs on single vowels), and written with Puccini's great gift for melody in both the vocal line and the accompaniment. Dunn, with marvelously controlled and focused dynamics from pianissimo to fortissimo, sent these songs to the audience with a generous serving of affection. After intermission, we heard two songs by one of the great art song composers, Hugo Wolf. "An eine Aeolsharfe" ("To an Aeolian Harp") is a lament, perhaps harkening back to the early loss of his brother. This was balanced with "Er ist's" ("It is he!"), a more positive song focusing on the hope of new life in the springtime. The thing that struck me while watching Heid playing the grand accompaniment to this song was that the keys of the piano seemed to offer no resistance to his touch. It was as though the piano anticipated it, was prepared for it, and welcomed it. The performance of these two musicians together was indeed high art. It seems that most recitals I have attended recently follow a programming pattern beginning with serious art songs and arias, then winding down with some lighter American or other national songs and concluding with some Gershwin, Kern, or show tunes. This is not a bad way to go! For their Americana selection, Dunn and Heid chose Harry T. Burleigh's Saracen Songs. Many of us have sung and all of us have heard the marvelous settings of plantation songs arranged by Burleigh, but few have heard the other aspects of his considerable talent and skill. I can no do better here than to quote from the program notes: " The Saracen Songs, seven sensuously melodic and harmonically transparent songs, are beautiful evocations of the poetic language and desert setting." That character, so different from the spiritual settings, brings to mind a tribute to Burleigh published after his death: "He seemed aware of deeper tones of brotherhood and throbbing harmonies of humanity which others did not hear." Indeed, the Saracen Songs were filled with singing melodies, clever accompaniment, an aura of wonder, and a delight in the relationships that make life a treasure. Gershwin songs, the last two of which were from Porgy and Bess, gave Dunn the opportunity to become even more intimate with the audience, eliciting foot tapping with "I got rhythm," chuckles with "Lorelei," chills up the spine with "Summertime," and tears of heartbreak with "My man's gone now." For an encore, she chose the simple and charming Irish folksong "I know where I'm going." After several minutes of warm and appreciative applause, we all went our separate ways, knowing that we had been somewhere special together. Our sadness for the loss of special people like Walter W. Heid was somewhat assuaged – and our hopes were lifted – because of organizations like the John Bartlett Care Fund Endowment.of his considerable talent and skill. I can no do better here than to quote from the program notes: " The Saracen Songs, seven sensuously melodic and harmonically transparent songs, are beautiful evocations of the poetic language and desert setting." That character, so different from the spiritual settings, brings to mind a tribute to Burleigh published after his death: "He seemed aware of deeper tones of brotherhood and throbbing harmonies of humanity which others did not hear." Indeed, the Saracen Songs were filled with singing melodies, clever accompaniment, an aura of wonder, and a delight in the relationships that make life a treasure. Gershwin songs, the last two of which were from Porgy and Bess, gave Dunn the opportunity to become even more intimate with the audience, eliciting foot tapping with "I got rhythm," chuckles with "Lorelei," chills up the spine with "Summertime," and tears of heartbreak with "My man's gone now." For an encore, she chose the simple and charming Irish folksong "I know where I'm going." After several minutes of warm and appreciative applause, we all went our separate ways, knowing that we had been somewhere special together. Our sadness for the loss of special people like Walter W. Heid was somewhat assuaged – and our hopes were lifted – because of organizations like the John Bartlett Care Fund Endowment.

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

• Grammy Award, "Best Choral Recording of 1988", Verdi, Requiem, 1988 Soprano Soloist, The Atlanta Symphony and Chorus, with Robert Shaw.
• Pick of the Year, Verdi, Requiem, Gramophone Magazine, 1988 The Atlanta Symphony Chorus, with Robert Shaw.
• "The Best of the New Generation: Men and Women Under 40 Who Are Changing America", Esquire Magazine's, January 1984.
• Richard Tucker Foundation Award Winner, 1983.
• WGN-Opera on the Air Award, First Place, Chicago, IL, 1983.
• D'Angelo Young Artist Award, First Place, 1981.
• G.B. Dealey-Dallas Morning News Young Artist Awards, First Place, 1981.
• Luciano Pavarotti-Opera Company of Philadelphia Young Artist Award Winner, 1981.
• Metropolitain National Council Auditions, Winner, 1981.

• Music Department, Director of Undergraduate Studies, 2005 - spring 2012
• Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor of the Practice of Music, DUS, January 01, 2006- January 01, 2007

  Departmental Committees/Service

• Becky Troxler Review Committee, member, 2013/12/31-2013/12/31
• Curriculum Committee, 2012
• Baldwin Auditorium Renovation Committee, April, 2008
• Policy Committee, Director of Undergraduate Studies, policy committee member, 2005 - 2012
• Ensembles Committee, member, 1994 - present
• Curriculum Committee, 2011/12/03-2011/12/03
• Assessment Committee, 2011/12/03-2011/12/03
• Faculty Review Committees, Chair of committee, Harry Davidson, April, 2008
• Faculty Review Committees, chair of committee, Harry Davidson, 2007
• Benenson Award Committee, 2012/12/10-2012/12/10

  University Committees/Service

• Benenson Committee, April, 2011
• Review Committee for Jonathan Bagg, re-appointment, July, 2002
• Review Committee for Jane Hawkins' re-appointment, chair, 2001
• Review Committee for Kraig Williams' re-appointment, chair, 2000

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