The Highlands Opera Community School is the year round division of the registered charity, Highlands Opera Theatre, offering educational, creative, inclusive and downright fun experiences to residents of Haliburton County related to the joy of singing and the magic of the art form of opera.
2025 Activities include Pay-What-You-Can Singing Lessons (all styles of music, all levels) offered by professional jazz & opera singer, Lauren Margison, Highlands Opera Appreciation Club(s), and our NEW PILOT PROJECT, supported by the The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), 'LET'S MAKE OPERA!', bringing the entire process of creating an opera to residents of Haliburton County.
'Let's Make Opera!'
*** STORY SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED UNTIL JANUARY 15th, 11:59pm ****
Please email submissions to valerie@highlandsoperastudio.com
December 1st, 2024, - November 30th, 2025
Supported in full by The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
This new and exciting year-long pilot project will bring the entire process of creating three 15-30 minute operas to residents of Haliburton County, from choosing a story, building the characters, creating the musical support for the words, and at the end of the year bringing it to life onstage through the magic of costumes, makeup, lighting and sets! The only requirements for participants are that they live in Haliburton County and that their story is from Haliburton County. Opera (the Italian word for ‘work’) is a fluid, inclusive art form with space for everyone.
To learn more about the project, meet the key members of the team, and find out how you can be part of this exciting project, please join us at our first 'Let’s Make Opera!’ Community Info Meeting in Haliburton, Monday, December 2nd, 6:30-8:00pm (Haliburton Highlands Museum, 66 Museum Road). This meeting will also be available online if you’re unavailable to attend in person.
LET’S MAKE OPERA (LMO) TEAM MEMBERS
Project Director:
Valerie Kuinka
professional violist, stage/production director
Lead Mentor, Social Media Manager:
Lauren Margison
professional operatic soprano, writer, singer/songwriter
Lead Mentor:
Danika Loren
professional operatic soprano, composer, keyboard
Lead Mentor:
Michael Murphy
percussion, sound design
Community Liaison & Administrative Assistant:
Christine Jonas-Simpson
Additional Guest Mentors TBA
TO LEARN MORE & TO BE ADDED TO THE LMO EMAILING LIST
email valerie@highlandsoperastudio.com, lauren@highlandsoperastudio.com and/or info@highlandsoperastudio.com to be added to the ‘Let’s Make Opera!’ email list and/or to receive the link for the December 2nd meeting.
You can also follow us on Instagram (@Highlandsopera ) and Facebook (@Highlandsoperastudio) to be up to date with all our activities and exciting opportunities!
Click here to learn more about the 'Let's Make Opera!' project timelines, and what area of the creative process you may be interested in.
YOUR STORIES + YOUR MUSIC + YOUR COMMUNITY = OPERA!
Feel the Passion! Get involved!
The ‘Let’s Make Opera!’ project is being produced by the Canadian registered charity, Highlands Opera Theatre, which operates publicly as Highlands Opera Studio and Highlands Opera Community School. This project is under the Highlands Opera Community School division and is being fully supported by an Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Seed Grant.
Lauren Margison
Singing (all styles)
HIGHLANDS OPERA COMMUNITY SCHOOL OFFERS PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN SINGING LESSONS ONLINE & IN-PERSON
November 2024— Highlands Opera Community School is thrilled to be offering Pay-What-You-Can Singing Lessons, ALL STYLES, ALL LEVELS, ages 14 and up, to residents of Haliburton County!
Love to sing? Preparing for an audition? Love to write songs? Want to have more fun singing?
An internationally acclaimed professional opera singer, jazz singer, and singer/songwriter, LAUREN MARGISON is a welcoming and supportive voice teacher. As a professional vocalist in her teens, Lauren toured across Canada and performed in Europe as a jazz singer as well as a singer/songwriter working mainly in the pop/folk genre before devoting her time to studying to become a professional opera singer. A graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble, l’Atelier Lyrique (Opera Ensemble) of the Opera de Montreal and holding a Masters of Music from the University of Montreal, Lauren is passionate about sharing her love of singing through teaching as well as performing. No stranger to Haliburton County, Lauren has spent every summer in the region since she was ten years old and has been a member of the HIGHLANDS OPERA THEATRE team both on and offstage since it’s inception in 2007. Whether your interests lie with musical theatre, jazz, folk, pop, classical or anything in between Lauren is here to assist you in achieving your singing goals!
For more information and to register for lessons: lauren@highlandsoperastudio.com
I met Lauren when I responded to a notice offering vocal lessons to our local community. I read music but had no voice training. Lauren took me on as a student and the journey has been an absolute delight. A professional career is not in my future, but with Lauren’s instruction, I am singing challenging, complex music in five languages, across multiple genres. Lauren is an incredibly accomplished artist and instructor who loves her craft. She has the ability to make students feel completely at ease, and if you are willing, she will help you develop talent with a confidence you didn’t know you possess."
Gwen (Haliburton County student since 2021)