Reviews:
Messiah, Handel. Portsmouth Choral Union; David Gostick, Conductor.
"Canadian mezzo-soprano Susanne Holmes was the pick in terms of vocal expression, fervently highlighting the shame of the spitting in He Was Despised." - Mike Allen, The Portsmouth News.
Hansel and Gretel (Hansel), E. Humperdinck. Co-opera Co., 2012. Stephen Higgins, Conductor; James Bonas, Director.
"Susanne Holmes and Llio Evans relished every moment of their stiff-limbed turn as the naughty-but-nice children, and were as touching as you could wish for in the Evening Prayer. Holmes stood out for her lovely, rounded tone..." - Flora Willson, Opera.
"Holmes, who I had previous been impressed with as Anna in Intermezzo at Buxton, made a strong Hansel. Starting off reading a Biggles Annual, she was characterful and naughty without being a complete bully... Holmes's diction was strong and her vocal line came over richly and clearly. Holmes is definitely someone to watch." - Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill Classical Music Blog.
"Susanne Holmes portrayed Hansel with all the exuberance of boyhood" - Notes from Xanadu Blog.
"Hansel played by Susanne Holmes and Gretel played by Llio Evans had effective and engaging physicality. It can be very hard to sustain the character of a young child but through unwavering energy and attention to detail they portrayed two very believable and real children. Their voices also complimented each other beautifully and their rendition of Evening Prayer was a high spot in the production." - Elizabeth Vile, The Public Reviews.
"Llio Evans and Susanne Holmes made a convincing, complementary sibling pair of girl and boy." - Mark Berry, Seen and Heard International.
Intermezzo (Anna), R. Strauss. Buxton Festival, 2012. Stephen Barlow, Conductor; Stephen Unwin, Director.
"...while Susanne Holmes’s Anna and Jonathan Best’s Notary provide strong cameos" - Andrew Clark, Financial Times.
"Susanne Holmes as Anna, the no-nonsense maid who puts up with Christine’s sharp tongue, pleases the eye – no-nonsense maid who puts up with Christine’s sharp tongue, pleases the eye – and the ear." - Philip Radcliffe, The Arts Desk.
"The Storchs’ maid Anna (also true to life, as the Strausses’ maid was named Anna too), played by Susanne Holmes, provided light humour and rationality in her ‘back-chat’, and yet a sympathetic attitude towards her mistress as well." - Andrew H. King, Bachtrack.
"Susanne Holmes was notable in the role of Anna, Robert and Christine's maid. She was one of the few people who stood up to Christine, and Holmes did so in a characterful and expressive way. Holmes's body language showing a great deal of what the character was not saying, but would like to. Anna isn't a huge role, but it is quite a meaty one in the right hands and Holmes was perfect, strongly characterised without ever taking focus away from the principals." - Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill Classical Music Blog.
Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno (Piacere), Handel. Toronto Handelfest 2011 with the Classical Music Consort. May, 2011. Ashiq Aziz, Conductor.
"...a fine job as Piacere" - Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet.
La Fedeltà Premiata (Celia), Haydn. With Opera In Concert, Toronto, January 2011:
"...a warm plumy voice." - Paula Citron, Classical 96.3.
" ...an attractive voice as the melancholy Celia/Fillide" - Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet.
Dido and Aeneas (Dido), Purcell with Opera Erratica/Underground Opera with the Classical Music Consort, Aug 2009, Ashiq Aziz, Conductor; Patrick Eakin Young, Director:
"...a beautifully expressive Dido, bringing just the right amount of pathos to her great, final aria, "When I am laid in Earth."" - John Terauds, Toronto Star
"Hawkins gives an exquisitely sensitive performance of Dido’s two famous arias." - Christopher Hoile, Eye Weekly
"Susanne Hawkins' deeply felt and well sung Dido… lead a very fine all-Canadian cast." – Alexander Neef, General Director, Canadian Opera Company.
"...a superb and very affecting Dido." - Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet.com
"…the show is Dido’s, and Susanne Hawkins is commanding and passionate as both the loving and the lovelorn queen. Her final, exquisitely sung lament, When I Am Laid In Earth, takes us into Dido’s grief with dignity and crystal clarity." – Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine Daily
Messiah, Handel, Dec 2008; Classical Music Consort, Toronto.
"Particularly interesting is alto Susanne Hawkins, whose warm and expressive voice draws attention to the intensity of the text." - Aurora de Pena, Time and Space
Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Ullmann 2007:
"The Trommler was sung by Susanne Hawkins, who brought us the best performance of the evening." – Opera Belgium
Recital, Antwerp, 2007:
Hereafter we heard the Canadian mezzo-soprano Susanne Hawkins. She started her program with a lied by Richard Strauss "All mein Gedanken,mein Herz und mein Sinn", and made an immediate thrilling impression with her splendid voice. The next song "Morgen" , also composed by Richard Strauss, was truly a phenomenal success. Her voice was well controlled with sensational piano singing. For the rest of her program she sang another lied by Strauss and also two songs by Hugo Wolf." – Opera Belgium