From the Editor

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October is La Scena Musicale’s month for youth, as our third annual Rising Stars issue features 14 musicians to watch. Last June’s Montreal International Musical Competition (MIMC) underscored a growing phenomenon, the rise of South Korean musicians and singers, as the participants from the Land of the Morning Calm created a sensation, winning the top two prizes. In this issue, we meet tenor Keon-Woo Kim and soprano Hyesang Park.

We also feature 12 other winners of recent Canadian and International competitions (from the Azrieli Commissioning Prize, Honens, Prix d’Europe to the Queen Elisabeth), along with our annual Competition Guide. One of last year’s rising stars, violinist Yolande Bruno, is making news again winning the Virginia Parker Prize and a Strad through the Canada Council Instrument Bank.

On September 21, as Quebec’s #1 arts magazine, we organized La Scena’s first debate on the arts to create a discussion on the importance of the arts and to give the Federal political parties a chance to explain their position on the arts in time for the next Federal election. Four of the five parties sent participants and the evening was a lively success. Read Hassan Laghcha’s report on pp. 42-44. Our thanks to the Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur for providing the venue. The high-resolution video of the debate is available on YouTube at http://bit.ly/LSM_Debate2015. We hope to organize future events as part of our 20^th season activities.

In this issue, we launch our series on business and the arts with a profile of André Bourbeau, winner of the 9th Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal in the Arts-Business Personality category for his work with the Jeunesses Musicales du Canada Foundation and the MIMC. Co-editor Caroline Rodgers’s opinion column, Dissonance, also begins this month.

Our Great Art Song Challenge, a survey of the greatest art songs of all time, continues with votes from Liselyn Adams, Benjamin Butterfield, and Bruno Laplante. You can read about my vote (Mahler’s Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft) on p. 16. Submit your vote at www.nextgreatartsong.com.

As reported in my September editorial, La Scena is facing a cut to our advertising contract with the Conseil québécois de la musique, after our November issue. Consequently, we must rely more on fundraising activities. Through our partners, we have acquired tickets to select concerts (opera, musicals and world music), which we are selling to raise funds (LSM subscribers get a 15% discount). Look up the detailed list at www.lascena.org or sign up for our e-newsletter at enews@lascena.org.

Incidentally, we are beginning our 2015-16 Subscription Campaign. In addition to discounts, subscribers benefit from home delivery, whiter paper, and full translations in our English or French translation supplement.

Have a great October full of music and the arts!