SCHOLARSHIP, WRITING, Research, PUBLIC SPEAKING & TEACHING

An experienced writer, educator and public speaker, Ms. Fatta has been published across many formats and media, such as magazine articles, poetry, academic journals, blogs, fashion reviews, cookbook recipes, academic conferences and panel discussions. While Suzanne specializes in musical performance of the 16th - 18th centuries, her other research and teaching fields include Medieval History (in which she holds a Harvard MA), Gender Studies, Ethnomusicology, Ritual Studies, 20th/ 21st century Music, Jazz and Buddhism. Likewise, her teaching and performance interests range from the Medieval to the Baroque era, 21st century new music and folk musics of the world. Suzanne won the Harvard Bok Center Graduate Writing Fellowship, as well as a Teaching Award of Excellence. From time to time she teaches university classes, and works as a freelance editor. In England, she was the Student Representative for the Royal Musical Association.

EDUCATION

• Post Graduate Studies, University of York, UK: Historical Performance Practice (Voice)

• Doctoral Studies, Eastman School of Music; University of Rochester: Musicology (Vocal Performance)

• MTS, Harvard University, 2001; The Divinity School: Religion, Medieval Studies

• BA, Oberlin College & Conservatory of Music, 1998; dual major Musicology, hons (Vocal Performance), and Religion

PUBLICATIONS

• October 2021; ARTA blog, 10 Things You Need to Know About Opera in WNY

• March 2021; Fashion Maniac Magazine, Fashion Is Theater for the Body: A Talk with Opera Impresaria Beth Morrison

• Feb 2021; Volup2 Magazine, From Lake Ontario to the Aegean: Love and MS in Rochester

• June 2020; album review of Songs from Inside by IMPRESARIO, on Gashouse Radio

• Dec 2018; The Operalicious Cookbook, Friulan Polenta for early Baroque Venetian Opera. (available on Amazon)

• Dec 2017; We Got You! A tribute to Neil Finn, as written by his friends, fans, and Frenz, "Suzanne's Dream Come True: A Love Story." (available on Amazon)

• Nov 2017; Sultry Reigns Magazine, "Emerging into the Light"

• May 2017; Yahoo Canada commissioned Open Letter, "Carmina Suzanne: Plus-size supermodel diagnosed with MS talks triumphing her 'body's betrayal'"

• Winter 2017; Alizé La Vie Magazine, “What if There’s No Fat Lady? The Recent Trend of Critical Fat Shaming in Opera.” Paris/ New York

• Dec 2016; Mirabella Magazine, "The Industry, The Fight, The Change: The Emerging Plus Fashion Industry." Boston

• Sept 2016; The Plus+ Side Party, "PCOS Got Between Me and My Body Love." Los Angeles

• Summer 2015; Volup2 Magazine (Rebel Issue), “The Girls Behind the Grills: Rebellion and Low-Voiced Females in Vivaldi’s Women.” Paris

• Winter 2015; Volup2 (Black & White Issue), “Glitter and be Gay: Just Don’t Wear Pink.” Paris

• Feb 2014; Volup2 (Supernatural Vol II), “Interview with Fat Girl Food Squad.” Paris

• 2013-15; Fashion Maniac Magazine; “Cropped out for Spring & Summer,” “London Calling: Jack Skellington Chic,” “Florals? For spring? Ground breaking,” and “Moiré Hypnotic Swirls for Herrera." Buffalo

• Sept 2011; "Suzanne Fatta reports on London Fashion Week: Mark Fast."

• Oct 2010; Royal Musical Association Newsletter; “Musicology across the Border(s). Depth versus Breadth: A Useful Cliché.” London

• June 2011; Tropics Magazine, "Interview with Ngoli Onyeka Okafor" for Models of Diversity; South Africa/ London

• 2011; Research Study, "Demographic population statistics in the UK as of early 2011" for Models of Diversity

• Sept 2010; Just as Beautiful Magazine, “Models of Diversity: Who We Are.” London

• 2010 - 11; Models of Diversity; multiple interviews with top international fashion insiders such as Cher Rue, Kariza Chan, Katie Green, Jill Alexander and more; London

ACADEMIC PAPERS

• Aug 2013; Co-Presenter/ Performer, Lecture-Recital, Feminist Theory and Music Conference: Suppression and Revival of the Low Female Singing Voice.

• Oct 2010; Co-Presenter/ Performer, Lecture-Performance, RMA Collaborations in Practice Led Research, Leeds: Reflecting on noitcelfeRReflection.

• Jan 2009; Paper, The Annual Gender and Medieval Studies Conference at King’s College London: Subversion, Suffering and Gender Fluidity in the Mystical Writings of Francis of Assisi and Angela of Foligno.

• Dec 2008; Paper at Medieval Religion Research Group, York Centre for Medieval Studies: Subversion, Suffering and Gender Fluidity in the Mystical Writings of Francis of Assisi and Angela of Foligno.

LECTURE-RECITALS

    OPERA America National Opera Week Lecture-Recitals for OperaBuffs of WNY:

• 2022: Singing in the Tongues of Angels: Dialects, Sub-Languages and Arcane Tongues in Opera

• 2021; Masks in Opera: From the pandemic ridiculous to the operatic sublime

• 2019; What is opera anyways? And does it really matter?

• 2018; It Ain't Over Till The Fat Lady Slims: Critical and theoretical musings on the mysterious interplay of body shape, size, weight and ethnicity on operatic fach and range. or What if there’s no fat lady?! The recent trend of critical fat shaming in opera.

• 2016; Opera Liberata: Uncovering, Rediscovering and Reconstructing Lost Operas.

• 2015; Behind The Last Door: An Inside look at Bartok’s 'Bluebeard’s Castle.'

• 2014; Wayward Sisters: Witches, Sorceresses and Gypsies in Opera.

  • selected as one of the top 15 events in the nation by OPERA America

• 2013; The Early (Pre)History of Opera.

• 2012; Angels of Loveliness I & II: Low Female Voices in Opera.

• March 2015; Forest Lawn Cemetery Sunday Lecture Series: Paralyzing the Boys: The 7 Singing Sutherland Sisters.

• April 2013; OperaBuffs of WNY, and The Erwin H. Johnson Memorial Fund: A Musical Journey through the Mediterranean: Expressions of Sicilian and Southern Italian Identity in Opera.

TEACHING

• 2020 - present: group singing classes, private voice lessons (ages 7-12); Hummingbird Music School

• 2010 - present; voice studio and pedagogy focused on female Tenors and Basses

• 2009 - 10; Teaching Assistant, University of York (UK) Music Department, Introduction to the Fundamentals of Music: Writing About Music

• 2009; Mentor/ Coach, Vivaldi's Women Summer School; Bass section leader, rehearsal director, vocal coach

• 2008 - 09; Tutorial Assistant/ Writing Tutor/ Dyslexia Tutor, Univertsity of York Music Department

• 2006 - 07; Adjunct Professor, Canisius College, Buffalo, NY: Fine Arts/ Music Department, Sacred Musics of the World; Religion Department, Zen and the Meditative Tradition

• 2002; Teaching Fellow, Harvard Music Department, Core Course, Music of the Swing Era, under Prof. Robert Levin * Recipient of the Bok Center Teaching Award of Distinction

• 2001; Teaching Assistant, Harvard Music Department, Core Course, Soundscapes, under Prof. Kay Shelemay

• 1994 - 96; Teaching Assistant / Tutor, Oberlin Conservatory of Music; Introduction to Music History 101 and 100, under Prof. Sylvan Suskin; Music of the Baroque Era, under Prof. Steven Plank

• 1993 - 5, 99; Music Instructor and Camp Counselor, Camp Encore/ Coda; Sweden, ME; taught private voice lessons; vocal performance classes; vocal chamber groups and jazz choir; introductory music history; all levels of music theory

HOSTING/ CHAIRING PANELS

• April 2017; Honorary Hostess, International Jazz Day celebration; JazzBuffalo; PAUSA Art House

• May 2016; Panel Moderator, Nickel City Opera Behind The Curtain Lecture; The Buffalo History Museum

• 2014 - 2017; Hostess and MC, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Buffalo/ Toronto District

• 2010; Chair Panel, York PostGraduate Student Royal Musical Association Conference: Ownership of the Musical Work?: Whose Music Is It Anyway? with Gavin Bryars

RESEARCH

• 2008 - 10; Peer Reviewer, academic interdisciplinary journal e-pisteme, University of Newcastle

• 2003 - 04; Research Assistant, Prof. Kim Kowalke, Musicology chair at Eastman; projects on music and Nazism, Kurt Weil

• 2002; Website Designer and Research Assistant, Prof. Kay Kaufman Shelemay, Harvard Music Department chair, for the class Soundscapes

• 2000 - 02; Research, Editorial, Copy and Personal Assistant, Prof. Shelemay, for her textbook Soundscapes

• 1998 - 99; Translator and Researcher, independent project, Prof. Shelemay, “Italian Cultural Expression in Colonial Ethiopia”

• 1998; Research Assistant; Oberlin Conservatory Musicology Department, Oberlin History Department

• 1997 - 98; Research Assistant, Prof. L Michael White, Oberlin Religion Department, PBS/ Frontline documentary From Jesus to Christ

LANGUAGES 

• Italian; fluent: Corso Avvanzato, private translation lessons, Scuola Babilonia, Taormina Sicily; Certificato Avvanzato, Centro Studi Italiani, Istituto Dante Alighieri, Urbania Italy

• Spanish; advanced: Harvard Master exams

• French; intermediate/ advanced: ISS, Aix-en-Provence France

• German; intermediate

• Latin; intermediate

FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS

• 2008 - 10; York University Overseas Student Special Award Scholarship

• 2008, summer; Cambridge Early Music Summer School Scholarship

• 2007 - 09; University of York Music department Roslyn Lyons Masters Scholarship, Overseas Student Minor Scholarship

• 2003, spring; Harvard Bok Center Graduate Writing Fellow, Writing Across the Curriculum

• 2000, summer; Fellow, the Annual Franciscan Studies Conference, Assisi, Italy