ABOUT
Suzie is a singer and performer from Birmingham UK, living in London. She graduated from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2008, completed the Opera Works course at English National Opera in 2011 and was an Emerging Artist at Longborough Festival Opera in 2023.
“As a cheerfully rebellious Puck, Suzie Purkis sparkles, literally and vocally (and she adaptably triples up as Egeus and Snug).” Purcell’s Fairy Queen, Opera Today
She has performed lots of contemporary music including Boulez for Pierre Boulez when she was a student, Gerald Barry for Gerald Barry and Louis Andriessen for Louis Andriessen. When Louis first heard her sing his piece M is for Man, Music, Mozart he said “you’re much better than I expected! Much less refined!”
“…the supple-toned mezzo in Improvisation I sur Mallarme… Purkis’ poised delivery conveying a wonderfully lyrical sense of line through wide-spanning intervals.” Boulez’ Improvisation I sur Mallarme, Birmingham Post
Recent performances include Puck, Snug and Egeus in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with music from Purcell’s Fairy Queen at Longborough Festival Opera, a recital of new music for solo voice and voice with cello at Warwick Arts Centre, alto in Michael Betteridge’s staged cantata “Voices of the Sands” for three upper voices and harp for Tete a Tete and tour, Louis Andriessen’s M is for Man, Music, Mozart and Ryan Latimer’s Speaking of Letters and Dancing with University of Birmingham’s New Music Ensemble.
“The third member of the trio, alto Suzie Purkis showed enormous character, flawless intonation (even on the lowest of low notes, and a flair for intensely and directly communicating every note to the audience.” Betteridge’s Voices of the Sands, Planet Hugill
Other performances of contemporary works include Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Twice Through the Heart, 2nd voice in Steve Reich’s Tehillim, Berio’s Folk Songs, Michael Wolters’ The Voyage and Sing, sing!, Liz Dilnot Johnson’s Sky Burial and Shapcott Settings, Joanna Lee’s your little voice and Pierrot!, Cecilia McDowall’s White Fox Woman, Gerald Barry’s Things That Gain By Being Painted and Philip Cashian’s So Lonely.
“The amazingly versatile Purkis could have almost been the reincarnation of that virtuosic Cathy Berberian.” Berio’s Folk Songs, Birmingham Post
Alongside her performing career, Suzie teaches singing and is an experienced workshop leader having run workshops and choir rehearsals in many settings including prisons and specialist SEND schools. She is regularly invited to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to run workshops for Undergraduate and Post-graduate composition students on writing for voice, and gives performances or recordings of the music written for her. Prior to her relocation to London she was Music Director of Welsh National Opera’s Youth Opera Company in Birmingham from 2018-2021.
“Singing in English, Suzie Purkis as Carmen dominated the action whenever she was onstage. She is a true mezzo with a dark-toned, vibrant and velvety voice which was absolutely precise in diction, rhythm and intonation.” Bizet’s Carmen, Peterborough Post