Susanne Friedrich was born in Vienna, Austria, and received her cello training at the Vienna Conservatory, studying with Victor Görlich and Josef Luitz. She received a Masters degree in cello performance as well as a cello pedagogy degree from the Vienna Conservatory. She participated in a master class with Mischa Maisky.
Friedrich taught as Josef Luitz’s assistant at the International Chamber Music Festival Allegro Vivo for 9 years, as well as taking part in the Payerbacher Meisterkurse, directed by Eva Salmutter. While already a freelance cellist and teacher at the Vienna Conservatory Preparatory School she spent one year studying baroque cello at the Innsbruck Conservatory (State of Tyrol) with Max Engel. This brought her into period performing and established the contact with Paul Angerer’s group Concilium Musicum, with whom she performed as their only cellist for many years, touring all of Austria and Europe as well as Southeast Asia.
During Friedrich's years in Vienna she played regularly with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Wiener Kammeroper (Vienna Chamber Opera), for whom she also contracted the orchestra.
In 1997 she moved to the Boston area to establish herself as a freelance player with many of New England’s orchestras. She was assistant principal of Symphony New Hampshire for many years and plays regularly with many other ensembles. She founded Trio Orione (piano trio) together with Katharina Radlberger and Roy Imperio, as well as the Vienna Waltz Ensemble, which performs Strauss’ waltzes and polkas, and is a member of Trio con Brio, two flutes and cello, with Wendy Vignaux and Laura Wilkins. Her most recent collaboration is with Trio con Anima, a piano trio with Ana Sorina Popa, piano and Marie Louise Sjöberg, violin.
Susanne teaches cello and chamber music at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, Dana Hall School of Music, and Rivers School Conservatory.