Highlands Opera Studio

Read Profile

Hear the best emerging professional voices from Canada and beyond in the beauty of the Haliburton Highlands, only 2.5 hours northeast of Toronto. Established in Haliburton, ON, in 2007 by internationally-acclaimed Canadian tenor Richard Margison and Canadian stage director/violist, and former Metropolitan Opera stage director, Valerie Kuinka, Highlands Opera Studio is an advanced intensive professional training and networking program for emerging operatic professionals. Chosen from close to 100 applicants from across Canada and internationally, the 17 successful 2024 participants attend the 5-week program free of charge and can be heard in public masterclasses, multiple concerts, community events, and two fully-staged operas: Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Andrew Balfour's Mishabooz’s Realm, commissioned in 2017.