Editorial

Version française...

Flash version here

Has recent volatility in gasoline prices dampened your summer travel plans? Why not enjoy the arts locally? Whether you live in Newfoundland, Saint-Eustache or Victoria, there is a festival nearby.

In this issue, La Scena Musicale is proud to present the 15th annual National Festival edition. This includes our thorough Guide to Classical Music and Arts Festivals, with listings of 100 classical music festivals, 800 concerts and 100 arts festivals to help you plan your musical summer. Our writers highlight the most exciting events on the Canadian festival scene.

In our annual survey, we noticed that last year’s new festivals have expanded, while a couple of new festivals have taken flight (Festival Classica in Montreal, Quebec Opera Festival in Quebec City and the Black Creek Festival in Toronto). Unfortunately, several others have ceased operations (Grand River Baroque Festival and the Niagara International Music Festival).

This June, La Scena Musicale’s cover celebrates the Prix d’Europe’s 100th year of encouraging young rising stars. Readers will also meet the latest Canadian Met audition winner, Ottawa bass-baritone Philippe Sly, as well as Canadian pianist/composer Gabriel Thibaudeau. What’s old is new again, as we look at the creation of “new” Brandenburg concertos by the late Bruce Haynes, based on some of Bach’s Cantata movements. Rimouski is our musical city this month, and our experts review Robert Lepage’s Die Walküre. Readers will also find La SCENA in this issue, which features a look at circus and theatre festivals.

The June 2011 Discovery CD (in partnership with XXI Records) features works by French neoclassical composer Jean Françaix, performed by the Trio Di Colore, including pianist Jimmy Brière.

La Scena Musicale depends on your support in order to continue promoting classical music in Canada and we are grateful for your readership and encouragement. As we gear up towards La Scena Musicale’s 15^th anniversary, which will be celebrated in September with some exciting new plans, we would like to invite you, our readers, to participate by sending us letters of support (to donation@lascena.org), which we will publish on our website and in our magazine. Please consider making a donation.

Lastly, we happy to announce that LSM is now available on the iPad (visit SCENA.org). Enjoy your read. We hope to see you at many of the festivals this summer!