PRESENTING TURIA DIANE STARK AS CANTOR AND TEACHER IN ISRAEL
Presented by Cantor Michael Kasper
A six-year-old, violin in hand.
All beginnings are unique, and sometimes hard, but Turia Stark’ s cantorial story begins with that memory. Soon enough it became apparent that her voice, and singing, were the things that animated her and would open up a life of art and performance. And then there was a love of the Spanish language. Turia completed high school on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and enrolled in Wheaton College where she earned and received an undergraduate degree in Music and Hispanic Studies. She followed that degree with a teaching certificate and used her musical and Spanish language skills to teach middle school for a number of years.
Searching for more she went back to school and graduated from The Boston Conservatory with an M. A. in Voice Performance, which led to an enviable career as a classical singer. Years earlier her Jewish journey began at home with the knowledge that the Shoah touched her family deeply. The few years of childhood Sunday School left warm and lasting impressions. They were a touchstone she would keep coming back to for many years, until life unfolded in Alabama. It was in Montgomery and Auburn that Turia found a mentor, Rabbi Elliot Stevens z” l, and that led her to AJR.
At the Academy the entire community felt the beauty and elegance of Turia’ s voice but she will be the first to tell you that it was not the voice she needed for her cantorate. With the help of her teachers, Cantors Sol Zim and Lisa Klinger-Kantor, but especially Lisa who became her cantorial coach, Turia worked hard to distinguish between her classical voice and her davening voice. There is a place for both but only the first, the trained classical one, was present in the beginning. Turia worked hard, for several years, to make the transition from her vocal instrument to her heart. Along the way she taught herself the guitar and is now an accomplished accompanist. I have been her teacher, an eager listener, and now, a proud colleague. Turia brings her thoughtful self to every task. The Jewish world is richer for it.
BEIT DIN
Cantor Lisa Klinger-Kantor- Somekhet Cantor Sol Zim Rabbi Beth Kramer-Mazer
18 AJR 2025