Margison, Richard (Charles)
Margison, Richard (Charles)
Margison, Richard (Charles), Canadian tenor; b. Victoria, British Columbia, July 15, 1953. He studied at the Victoria Cons. of Music, graduating in 1980. In 1976 he won the regional Metropolitan Opera auditions, and pursued further studies with Léopold Simoneau. In 1980 he made his first appearance with Pacific Opera Victoria as Count Almaviva, where he continued on its roster until 1983. He made his debut with the Vancouver Opera in 1985 as Lensky, and in 1988 he sang Don Ottavio at the Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, N.Y. In 1989 he made his debut with the Canadian Opera Co. in Toronto as Vitek in the first Canadian production of Janacek’s The Makropulos Affair.His European operatic debut followed in 1990 when he sang Verdi’s Gustavus with the English National Opera in London. That same year he also appeared as Gounod’s Faust at the Houston Grand Opera. In 1994 he sang Don Carlos at the San Francisco Opera, returning there in 1997 as Cavaradossi. Among his other fine roles are Alfredo, Edgardo, Rodolfo, Don José, Fenton, and Nemorino. He also sang in oratorio and concert performances throughout Canada.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire