Susan Graham Sings With Mercury This Weekend; Then For The Pope

Gramophone magazine called her "America's favorite mezzo," and indeed Susan Graham has built an enviable reputation in opera houses and recital halls around the world as a performer of rare and exception talent.

With a repertoire that ranges from the Baroque to the contemporary, the Midland, TX, native is one of the few American singers, along with the likes of Renée Fleming and Joyce DiDonato, to have garnered a truly international following that is not just confined to the opera house.

She won a Grammy in 2005 along with pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard for their recording of songs by Charles Ives, and her devotion to and promotion of French art songs earned her the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur award from the French government.

Next week Susan flies to New York to sing Mozart for the Pope in St. Patrick's Cathedral, but before that she brings her charm and voice to the Wortham Center's

Photo courtesy of Susan Graham's website

Cullen Theater Saturday evening as Mercury, under the leadership of artistic director Antoine Plante, opens its 15^th season with "An Evening with Susan Graham" featuring arias by Handel, Purcell and Mozart.

Susan Graham spoke by phone with Houston Public Media's St.John Flynn.