Suzanne Vinnik
Praised by the The New York Times as a “voice notable for its dramatic nuance” and described by Opera News as “Refreshing…[With] beautifully molded, vividly communicative phrasing” Suzanne Vinnik has captivated audience across the globe. In addition to performing, she is the CEO/Co-Founder of Shoperatic.com a marketplace community of 11K female opera singers boasting $200K transactions in its first six months of launching.
Ms. Vinnik’s varied operatic engagements have included performances at Florida Grand Opera as Violetta in La traviata; Musetta for Nevada Opera Theatre, Opera North, and the Castleton Festival under the baton of the late Lorin Maazel and Mimi with New Jersey Festival Orchestra in La bohème; Pittsburgh Opera as Leïla in Les Pêcheurs de Perles and Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel; Lyric Opera Virginia and Opera Las Vegas as Micaëla in Carmen; Ricky Ian Gordon’s Orpheus & Eurydice in San Antonio and most recently, Nedda in Pagliacci with Cedar Rapids Opera Theater. Upcoming stage engagements include Australian Theater Company’s new play Continental by Justin Fleming where she portrays Eleanor Steber and several roles directed by Wayne Harrison of Absinthe before covering the title role in Manon Lescaut with Dallas Opera.
Ms. Vinnik made her debut in Russia under the auspices of The US State Department on tour beginning at The Stanislavsky Theater under the baton of Maestro Constantine Orbelian, in a private concert for the US Ambassador at the SPASO House in Moscow accompanied by Craig Rutenberg and The Saratov Opera & Ballet sharing the stage with fellow American and Russian singers. She performed in Norway as a “Star of the Future” at the Kirsten Flagstad Festival, at the Norwegian Opera & Ballet before Queen Sonja and in performances with Norwegian Radio Orchestra (NRK). In Italy, she was a featured soloist in “Family Concerts” presented by Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Her voice and original song are recorded on the Motion Picture Soundtrack “Shadow of the Sword” with the Prague Philharmonia.
Concert highlights include LoftOpera’s Verdi Concerts, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts with Las Vegas Academy Symphony as a distinguished alumni and as a Guest Artist with Las Vegas Philharmonic in their opening night gala entitled “Operatic Love”, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 throughout Oregon with Rogue Valley Symphony, “Auld Lang Syne III” and the Jackie Evancho concert with Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and appearances with Henderson Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Westfield Symphony Orchestra, Ocean City Pops, Umbria Jazz Festival and as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. As a recitalist she has been presented by Sun Valley Opera, Pittsburgh Opera Guild, the Red Scarf Society in Northern California and the Hoku Concert Series in Hawaii.
Ms. Vinnik is a recipient of the Georg Solti Foundation Grant, the Olga Forrai Foundation Grant, and the Sullivan Foundation Career Development Award. She was a major prize winner in the Opera Index Inc. and the first prize winner in the New Jersey Verismo Opera Competition and American Prize for Opera for two years in a row. She received second prize in the Gerda Lissner International Competition, third prizes from Liederkranz Foundation and Mildred Miller International Voice Competition, Audience Favorite & Fourth Prize from Palm Beach Opera and was an international finalist and award winner in the Queen Sonja International Music Competition. Other accolades include George London Foundation Encouragement Award, numerous prizes from the Marcello Giordani Foundation and various grants from The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, Giulio Gari Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts and Nevada Arts Council.
She is an alumnus of the Opera Studio di Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy where she studied and performed under the tutelage of Renata Scotto. She holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from Texas Christian University with additional studies at Mannes College of Music. Ms. Vinnik regularly hosts concerts and events as a cultural affiliate with Sing For Hope throughout New York City. She is also an internationally published writer, model and photographer.