Podcast: soprano Susan Chilcott remembered

The English soprano Susan Chilcott died of cancer in September 2003 just as her career was on the brink of taking off in the major opera houses of the world. Ten years after her death, Opus Arte has released a newly compiled album, 'The Shining River', that unites a studio-recorded Copland recital (previously released by Black Box and reviewed in November 2003) and a live recital from La Monnaie in Brussels. The pianist on both is Iain Burnside.

To mark the release of 'The Shining River', Opus Arte and Sir Antonio Pappano – a frequent musical partner of Susan Chilcott – hosted a lunch at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. James Jolly caught up with three of the guests – Iain Burnside, the journalist Fiona Maddocks and Chilcott's manager and husband, David Sigall – and heard their recollections of this much-missed soprano. Listen to the podcast in the Gramophone Player (below) or download the podcast at the iTunes store.