Highlands Opera Studio Valerie Kuinka & Richard Margison By Jay Cooper Contributor / Musican
Valerie Kuinka and Richard Margison spend their summers in the Haliburton area
where they operate Highlands Opera Studio. It is a 5-week intensive program providing advanced professional training, highly specialized coaching, and international networking opportunities. Valerie brings a wealth of experience and unique creativity. The list of artists who she has collaborated with is extensive: Placido Domingo, Anna Netrebko, Roberto Alagna, Richard Margison, Jose Cura, Nathan Gunn, Matthew Polenzani, Veronica Tennant, Rex Harrington, Quartetto Gelato, Alannah Myles, Frank Moore and Shauna Rolston. Richard is one of the most critically acclaimed opera singers from Canada. An Officer of the Order of Canada, the recipient of three honorary doctorates, two life-time achievement awards and the Royal Conservatory of Music’s highest honour, the Honorary Fellowship. Richard has performed as a principal artist over the past 3 decades in the worlds leading opera houses including 15 consecutive years at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Deutsche Opera Berlin, Vienna Staatsoper, San Francisco Opera, Opera Australia (Sydney Opera House), the Liceu (Barcelona), La Monnaie (Brussels), Opera de Montreal, Opera de Quebec, Vancouver Opera, Calgary Opera, Manitoba Opera, Edmonton Opera and the Canadian Opera Company. Valerie and Richard love the Kawarthas. “The natural beauty of the lakes and hills, we enjoy it all while making music,” says Richard. Valerie adds, “We bought the property and originally thought of it as a sanctuary to rest from our busy schedules, but we set up the Studio and have never worked harder.” Page 46
Photo by David Sweeney
Valerie working in the Studio
Richard got his start in music playing rock and roll. “I was always mimicking opera and rock and roll singers. I had my first voice lessons in high school and became the Tenor soloist in the church choir. I gave up rock and roll and went to the University of Victoria and auditioned for the performance major in voice.
