Death of Met’s former assistant conductor
mainWe have been notified belatedly of the death last month of Susan Webb, assistant conductor at the Met for two decades until her retirement in 2003. Susan was 73.
She began her career with 13 years on the music staff of the San Francisco Opera, joined Dallas Opera for one season, Chicago Lyric Opera for two. Then James Levine took her onto the music staff of the Metropolitan Opera. Off-season, she worked for Opera Australia and at Bayreuth.
Susan was much appreciated by singers at every stage in her life.
By whom were ‘we’ belatedly notified? This was in the New York Times a little over a month ago. It’s no good just waiting for press releases or what have you. I’ve known of Susan’s death since October 24 — every morning I read all the ‘quality broadsheets’. I’m looking for much more than music items, so it takes time, but it keeps me up to date on what the papers have to say before I start on the deeper, mostly scholarly sources.
Sorry so many of us formerly associated with the Met missed the notice of her passing. Those of us who worked with her years ago would like to know the cause of death. She was a lady who touched our lives with her brilliance, integrity, and generosity.