Grammy-nominated and two-time Emmy Award winner, Suzanna Guzmán holds the distinguished title of a Los Angeles Opera 2023 Hispanic Opera Legend. As an international soloist, she has graced orchestras and opera houses worldwide, (i.e. Kennedy Center, Houston Grand, Los Angeles Opera, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan) in lead roles (Carmen, Leonora, Mother, Art Banker) and for decades, Guzmán has had an unwavering dedication to new opera works creating roles in world premieres including: the Duchess of Alba in Menotti’s opera GOYA, Paula in Daniel Catan’s FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS, Lucha in Yuval Sharon’s mobile opera HOPSCOTCH, Sheila in Eric Whitacre’s GIFT OF THE MAGI, Mrs. Fox in Tobias Picker’s MR. FOX and many more. Recent appearances include Mother Abbess with La Mirada CLO, Abuela Claudia in IN THE HEIGHTS (Rubicon), Mama with B Street Theatre and Luz in Nick Benavidez’s workshop: CARAVANA DE MUJERES.
Guzmán is a celebrated radio and TV host, receiving TWO Emmy Awards as Host of the 2019 AND 2021 Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration for PBS/ SoCal. Also for PBS/SoCAL Guzmán hosted the weekly television series OPEN CALL, focusing on Arts in Southern California. For over twenty years Guzman hosted, wrote, and produced many popular radio programs including LA Opera Notes, Sunday Evening Opera, LA Opera Live!
For her work as an arts advocate, she was honored by the Hispanic Scholarship Foundation as Mentor of the Year; received a life-time achievement award for service to arts and the community from the Nederlander Organization; and was Woman of the Year for Mexican American Opportunity Foundation. Artistic excellence includes awards a Grammy nod for Best Classical CD for her solo work with Southwest Chamber Music, two Emmys for television, first place vocal awards with Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco, Opera Guild. A longtime member of the Los Angeles Music Center’s Artists in Schools, her one-woman show, "Don’t Be Afraid; It’s Just Opera!", has been presented for over 500,000 inner-city students across the United States.
