One of the most critically acclaimed singers on the international stage today, Canadian tenor Richard Margison has performed in many of the world's leading opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna Staatsoper, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the San Francisco Opera, the Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie in Brussels, Covent Garden, the Sydney Opera and the Netherlands Opera.
The 2003-2004 season is one of new roles and old favourites for Richard Margison. He opens the season in Washington as Pollione in Bellini's Norma. Turandot with the Canadian Opera Company takes him back to Toronto in January and February to be followed by his debut in the title role of Peter Grimes at la Monnaie in Brussels. May sees him in Seattle where he will sing Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West and June and July take him back to London for appearances as Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos.
Following a highly successful appearance in Un Ballo in Maschera at the Sydney Opera, Richard Margison returned to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in September 2002 as Calaf in Turandot and for one performance as Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos. Mr. Margison then began an extended period at the Metropolitan Opera in New York with performances as Radamès in Aida, Calaf in Turandot and Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos. He made his highly acclaimed stage debut as Florestan in the Seattle Opera's production of Fidelio before reprising one of his most celebrated roles, Manrico, in the San Francisco Opera production of Il Trovatore.
Richard Margison began the 2001-2002 season with a flurry of activity at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He appeared in a new production of Norma, conducted by Carlo Rizzi, as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and in the title role of Verdi's Don Carlo, conducted by Valery Gergiev. In February he performed one of his most renowned roles, Manrico in Il Trovatore for the first time in Bilbao, Spain before returning to Canada for a solo recital in Montreal. In April, he made his role debut as Canio in I Pagliacci in Brussels at the Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie to critical acclaim. On June 16, Mr. Margison performed in Ottawa as part of a special televised concert from Rideau Hall to mark the 50th Anniversary of Canadian Governors General. July and August marked his return to the Sydney Opera House where he took on the role of King Gustav III in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera.
Other recent appearances include Il Trovatore and Ariadne auf Naxos at the Metropolitan Opera, Aida in San Diego and San Francisco, concert versions of La Gioconda at Carnegie Hall and Fidelio with the Vancouver Symphony. In the fall of 2000, Mr. Margison took Toronto by storm in a concert at Roy Thomson Hall garnering such praise as "...it is an important experience to hear Margison live, simply to come into contact with the phsyical presence of the voice. It has both brass and beauty, and its power is so forceful and concentrated that you have to remind yourself that its source is a human throat..." (Globe and Mail).
A much sought after concert artist, Richard Margison has appeared with the Royal Philharmonic in London, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Montreal and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and at the Ravinia Festival. He has also performed with Bryn Terfel at his opera gala at the Faenol Festival in Wales.
Mr. Margison's most recent release is an all-Verdi recording on CBC Records. He has also recorded Lanza (Warner Music), a recording made for the film on the life of Mario Lanza, in which he sings the title role. Other recordings include Verdi's Don Carlo with the Royal Opera House Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Bernard Haitink (Philips) and Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Neeme Järvi (Deutsche Grammophon). He has made three recordings with Richard Bradshaw and the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra: a solo album of French and Italian Arias (CBC Records), Rarities by Rossini and Verdi, with Gary Relyea (CBC Records) and Aria, une sélection de Radio-Canada with Anita Krause, Wendy Nielson and Gary Relyea (CBC Records). Richard Margison is also a featured artist on the Millennium Opera Gala recording released by CBC Records.
Richard Margison was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001. He shares his home in Toronto, Canada with his wife, opera director Valerie Kuinka and his daughter Lauren, a budding opera singer.
