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{{Short description|UK soprano opera singer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2012}}
'''Susan Chilcott''' (8 July 1963 – 4 September 2003) was an English [[soprano]], considered one of the best of her generation.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1440566/Susan-Chilcott.html|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=5 September 2003|title=Susan Chilcott obituary|accessdate=31 December 2010|location=London}}</ref> She died of [[breast cancer]] at the age of 40. She had success in many of the major opera houses around the world and was particularly known for her interpretations of [[Britten]] and [[Leoš Janáček|Janáček]].

==Early life==
Chilcott lived in the village of [[Timsbury, Somerset]], near [[Bath, Somerset|Bath, England]]. At the age of 12 her talent was noted by Mollie Petrie, a singing teacher, who remained with her as a singing coach and advisor for the rest of her career. In 1982, she started studying at the [[Guildhall School of Music]].<ref name=Guardian>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/sep/06/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries|title=Susan Chilcott: Compelling operatic star with a rare commitment to her work|work=The Guardian|accessdate=17 March 2021|location=London|first=Tom|last=Sutcliffe|date=6 September 2003}}</ref>

==Singing career==
Her operatic debut was as the First Lady in ''[[The Magic Flute]]'', in [[Oviedo]] in 1991. In that year she also sang with the [[Scottish Opera]]. The performance which could be described as her major breakthrough, bringing her to the attention of a wider audience, was her interpretation of Ellen Orford in [[Benjamin Britten]]'s ''[[Peter Grimes]]'' at [[La Monnaie]] in Belgium in 1994. During the next few years, she had huge success in Europe, singing roles from [[Verdi]], [[Philippe Boesmans|Boesmans]], [[Antonín Dvořák|Dvořák]], Britten and [[Leoš Janáček|Janáček]]. Indeed, her performance in 1999 in Janáček's ''[[Katya Kabanova]]'' was considered by many critics to be one of her best.

Another highly successful performance was in 2001 at [[Glyndebourne]] as [[Desdemona]] in [[Peter Hall (theatre director)|Sir Peter Hall]]'s production of ''[[Otello]]''. In 2002 she sang opposite [[Plácido Domingo]] in [[Tchaikovsky]]'s ''[[The Queen of Spades (opera)|The Queen of Spades]]'' at [[Royal Opera House|Covent Garden]]. That same year she debuted and sang five performances as Helena in Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Metropolitan Opera. Her last full operatic role was as [[Jenufa]] for [[Welsh National Opera]] in 2003 and for this she received, posthumously, the 2004 [[Royal Philharmonic Society]] Singer Award.<ref>{{cite web |title=Singer: Past Winners |url=https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/awards/rps_music_awards/latest-winners/past-winners/singer |website=royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk |publisher=Royal Philharmonic Society |accessdate=9 September 2020}}</ref> Apart from her operatic work, she also gave concerts, often with pianist [[Iain Burnside]], a close friend, and, with him and the actress [[Fiona Shaw]], gave intimate poetry recitals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/performers/singers/susan-chilcott|title=Susan Chilcott|publisher=Royal Philharmonic Society|accessdate=2009-08-21}}</ref>

==Illness and death==
In 2001, Chilcott was diagnosed with [[breast cancer]], but recovered enough to return to the stage. However, in 2003, she relapsed, and died on 4 September 2003, aged 40 at home in [[Timsbury, Somerset|Timsbury]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Susan Chilcott|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/susan-chilcott-37062.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/susan-chilcott-37062.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|accessdate=3 January 2014|newspaper=The Independent|date=6 September 2003}}</ref>

==Family life==
Chilcott was raised by adoptive parents. In adulthood, she had a relationship, which produced her only son Hugh, and later married her agent, David Sigall.<ref name=Guardian/> She had a relationship with [[Jonathan Dimbleby]] which led to his divorce from [[Bel Mooney]]. Dimbleby lived with and cared for Chilcott for the last four months of her life.

==Scholarship==
After her death, a charity, the '''Susan Chilcott Scholarship''', was set up to help aspiring singers with their careers. Its patron is [[Plácido Domingo]], the president is [[Jonathan Dimbleby]] and the trustees are [[Dame Josephine Barstow]], [[Iain Burnside]] (chair), Pamela Bullock, Neal Davies, Simon Freakley, John Gilhooly and Ian Rosenblatt. The Chilcott Award is awarded biennially and is administered by the [[Royal Philharmonic Society]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/rps_today/news/chilcott-award-applications-now-open|title=Singers – Young Musicians|access-date=10 August 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chilcott, Susan}}
[[Category:English operatic sopranos]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama]]
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Timsbury, Somerset]]
[[Category:Deaths from breast cancer in England]]
[[Category:20th-century British women opera singers]]
[[Category:21st-century British women opera singers]]
[[Category:English adoptees]]
[[Category:Musicians from Somerset]]

Susan Chilcott - Revision history

imported>Sc2353: −Category:Deaths from cancer in England; ±Category:Deaths from breast cancer in the United Kingdom→Category:Deaths from breast cancer in England using HotCat