Music Talks-Opera

Just days before the premiere of WICA’s first opera, The Photographer, Tekla Cunningham speaks about the influences and history of the art form. Tekla Cunningham, the master of the baroque violin, viola and viola d'amore, leads an active and varied musical life. At home in Seattle, she is Orchestra Director and concertmaster of Pacific MusicWorks, and plays regularly as concertmaster and principal player with the American Bach Soloists in California.

Tekla is the founder and director of the Whidbey Island Music Festival. From 2006-2013 she was principal second violin with Seattle Baroque Orchestra & Soloists. Tekla has appeared as concertmaster/leader or soloist with the American Bach Soloists, Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and Musica Angelica (Los Angeles), and has played with Apollo’s Fire, Los Angeles Opera, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and at the Carmel Bach, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, Indianapolis, Savannah and Bloomington Festivals. Tekla received her musical training at Johns Hopkins University and Peabody Conservatory.