Susan Werner On World Cafe

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Susan Werner recently performed on World Cafe.

Courtesy of the artist

Susan Werner recently performed on World Cafe.

Courtesy of the artist

Over the last two decades, Susan Werner has explored genres ranging from jazz and folk to gospel and opera. Werner was merely 5 years old when she began playing guitar and singing publicly in church, and since then she also picked up the piano. Coming to Philadelphia from Iowa to complete her graduate studies at Temple University, she performed in numerous recitals and operas, but after witnessing an inspirational performance from Nanci Griffith, she pushed her opera plans to the side in order to pursue songwriting.

Since then, she has recorded 10 albums, including her breakout 1995 album Last of the Good Straight Girls. In the years to follow, Werner has won widespread recognition for her exploration of folk, gospel, Americana, soul and classical music and in 2008 was named Best Contemporary Folk Artist. She released her latest album, Kicking The Beehive, earlier this month.