Sue was born in Wales and studied Music at the University of Oxford, specialising in German Romanticism and 19th Century song. On receiving her Masters she moved to Germany, working as an au pair and ballet pianist. She began her career in London at Rhinegold Publishing, working in advertising sales and marketing, and went on to work in the concerts department at the Philharmonia Orchestra and as A&R Manager at BMG Classics, coordinating the UK recording projects for Sir Colin Davis and the LSO, Sir James MacMillan and Polyphony, and Evgeny Kissin, amongst others.
She began as an Artist Manager at Lies Askonas in 1996, before the merger of the company with Harold Holt, and was appointed to the Board in 2006. In over 25 years with the company she has travelled extensively to support artists and visit opera promoters throughout Europe and the U.S.A. and Asia. Since 2014 she has jointly headed the singers’ department, managing the careers of many established names and identifying and nurturing new talent.
She is often invited to speak at conservatoires and artist development programmes, and to adjudicate competitions, most recently: the 2023 Guildhall Gold Medal, the Royal Over-Seas League Gold Medal, the Hurn Court Opera competition, the Lies Askonas competition, the Royal Philharmonic Society Chamber Music and Song award, and the Marie Kraja International Singing competition, Albania.