Richard Margison

He has performed in Electra (Aegisthus), with Michigan Opera Theatre. In October, 2015, Margison was featured as the title role of 'Abraham' in the world premiere of an important new, multi-cultural and multi-denominational oratorio written and conducted by Canadian composer and music theatre legend, David Warrack, and performed at Metropolitan United Church in Toronto.

Since 2013, Margison has been performing regularly across Canada with his daughter, Lauren Margison, also a singer, in their duo act, 'Back to Back'. Margison and his daughter turn their combined talents to classical arias, art song, Neapolitan love songs, jazz, pop, and a little Gordon Lightfoot.

In the summer of 2007, Margison and opera director Valerie Kuinka, founded the Highlands Opera Studio, a training program for emerging operatic professionals, which provides training for 20 to 25 singers and 1 collaborative pianist, between the ages of 19 and 35, chosen through competitive audition from across Canada. www.highlandsoperastudio.com

Margison was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001 not only in honour of his contribution to musical life in Canada but in recognition of his accomplishments on the international stage. In 2002 Margison received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. Margison received and Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Conservatory of Music as well as being inducted into the Canadian Opera Hall of Fame. In October 2007, Margison was awarded an Opera Canada Ruby Award. In October 2009 he received Lifetime Achievement Awards from both The Giulio Gari Foundation and The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation. In 2012 he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to Canada. Margison also holds honorary doctorates from the University of Victoria (DMus), University of British Columbia (D.Litt.) and McMaster University (D.Litt.).

Highlights from previous seasons include performances as Bacchus in Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos at the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo, Spain, the reprise of his celebrated role as O'Brien in Lorin Maazel's 1984 in Valencia, Spain, Radamès in Verdi's Aida at the Metropolitan Opera, as Pollione in Bellini's Norma with the Vancouver Opera, and in a series of concerts for Arizona Opera.

Other highlights include Margison's debut as Aegisthus in Strauss's Elektra with the Seattle Opera and the New York Philharmonic, his debut at Milan's famed La Scala as O'Brien in Lorin Maazel's 1984, a role he originated at the ROH Covent Garden in 2005, recently released on DVD. Renowned for his interpretations of Verdi, Puccini, Strauss and Beethoven, recent seasons have featured performances of Un Ballo in Maschera (l'Opéra de Montréal, Hamburg, the ROH Covent Garden), Turandot (New York, Barcelona, Toronto), Aida (New York, Cincinnati, l'Opéra de Montréal, Chicago, Orviedo), Ariadne auf Naxos (Madrid, London, Hamburg, New York), Fidelio (Seattle, Vancouver), Il Trovatore (New York, Toronto, Berlin, San Francisco), La Gioconda (Barcelona) and Don Carlo (New York).

Margison's DVD recordings include his highly acclaimed appearance as Bacchus in the Metropolitan Opera production of Ariadne auf Naxos with Deborah Voigt and Natalie Dessay (Virgin Classics), his roles as Cavaradossi in Tosca and as O'Brien in Lorin Maazel's 1984, and as Enzo in Ponchielli's La Gioconda.

Margison's career began in the coffee houses and clubs of Victoria, BC, where he performed with his own rock band for ten years. He made his debut in 1980 with Pacific Opera Victoria. In January 2010, Bravo! presented a documentary (Harbinger Films) on Margison called the 'Folk-Singing Opera Star'. Now available on DVD, the documentary features him in a musical collaboration with Bruce Cockburn, in major performances and in discussion about his life and career.

Richard Charles Margison, OC (born 16 July 1953) is a Canadian operatic tenor. Margison was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001 and lives in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada.