Noted by the Chicago Tribune for being “…especially deft at those dual actor/musician duties,” Suzanne Hannau (née Gillen, she/her) maintains an active career as an actor and freelance performer in the Chicagoland area. She earned her BM(’11) and MM (’13) in Flute Performance from DePaul University, studying with Mary Stolper and Jennifer Clippert. She studied Meisner at Blackbox Acting and Shakespeare with Susan Hart Shakespeare. Suzanne is passionate about combining different performance arts in a production and is always looking for opportunities to combine instrumental doubling with movement, acting, and singing.
Suzanne has been on stage and in the pit orchestras for various theaters in the Chicago area, recently in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Previous actor/musician work includes “Rosie Cotton” in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: A MUSICAL TALE at the Civic Theater in Auckland, New Zealand (this was a continuation of her the production at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2024), “Lily” in THE DEAD and “The Robin” in SECRET GARDEN at Court Theatre, and subbing as the flutist in THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE at The Goodman Theatre. As a singer, Suzanne can be heard at weddings throughout the Chicagoland area. She is the soprano section leader at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Old Town.
Suzanne is an invigorating, challenging, and encouraging teacher. She teaches at the Music Institute of Chicago and in her private studio in Lincoln Park. She also runs a successful early childhood music program as a certified and licensed Musikgarten teacher. By celebrating individual milestones in student successes, she encourages her students of all ages to enjoy the actual process of learning, rather than to only focus on the results of practice.