Opera Canada magazine has been publishing quarterly since 1974, and as the opera industry keeps growing in this country, so does the publication's excellent cultural coverage.

This latest fall issue is a real treat, with the announcement of the 1st Annual Opera Canada Awards. The awards themselves were presented Oct. 13 at a gala dinner, but you can read all about some of Canada's most accomplished stars and musicians. The creative artist award went to Maureen Forrester (natch): "In addition to being one of the greatest contraltos of our time, she has been an inspiring teacher, a goodwill ambassador for Canada, an untiring champion of Canadian music and a high-profile administrator for major arts organizations..." And the list goes on and on.

This particular issue, Fall 2000, is a real collectors' item. It has one of the best profiles yet of up-and-comer Barbara Hannigan, a 29-year-old singer on a streak of high notes. But you'll want to save the special pieces on the Canadian Opera Company's 50th anniversary, L'Opera de Montreal's 20th, Vancouver Opera's 40th, and Pacific Opera Victoria's 20th. All these articles provide a good historical perspective on the artistic triumphs of these unique companies. Although most of Canada's opera companies operate under trying financial circumstances, audiences are growing all the time, and so are the number of productions.

You can find the magazine on the racks at Chapters, as well as at many urban, arts-oriented independent stores. Or you can write away for a subscription:

Opera Canada Magazine
Dovetail Communications Inc.
30 East Beaver Creek Rd., Unit 202,
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1J2

Opus is another cool Canadian music mag. Coined as being "Canada's essential jazz and classical music source" this publication is really more about classical than jazz. However Fall 2000 features a story on jazz vocalist Denzal Sinclaire.

This is a provocative Q & A that addresses Sinclaire's sources (he's heavily into Joe Turner among others), talks about eeking out an existence as a jazz musician, explores the importance of extensive study and even investigates the influence of pop music on contemporary jazz.

The fall edition of Opus also features a story on 22- year old violinist Leila Josefowicz and remembers the late Aaron Copeland -- the "Dean of American Composers." An impressive list of classical and jazz reviews, as well as a page of book reviews augments the articles. The reviews, I counted well over 25, are a handy tool for the musical enthusiast who wants to know what discs to buy and which ones to avoid. It's a great added value feature.

You can pick up Opus on your newsstand, or enquire about a subscription at:

Opus
162 John Street
Toronto ON
M5V 2E5
(416)596-1555

Montreal Pride: Wow, did I feel my heart swell in my chest when I picked up my New York Times and saw a rave review of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra's concert series at Carnegie Hall. The reviewer was over the moon about the MSO and conductor Charles Dutoit in particular. Dutoit and company played music by Joaquin Turina, Joaquin Rodriog and Manuel de Falla. All three were Spanish composers who "spent formative years in Paris. The Swiss-born, Paris-trained Mr. Dutoit, the orchestra's esteemed music director since 1977, showed a natural affinity for the music."

Apparently it was the concert performance of de Falla's rarely heard, 70-minute opera Vida Breve that really brought the house down. "The cool brilliance of the playing was typical of Mr. Dutoit's work with this commendable orchestra."

Bravo! Mr.Dutoit. I hope you bring this concert back home for a Canadian tour.

Fine Tuning: Book Television (Bravo at 8 p.m. ET) dedicates a special show to Anne Rice and the influence of New Orleans on her writing.

And just before that, catch CBC's new young hipster show Our Hero. Tonight Kale gets a job at a health food store only to find out she has to work with a major creep, and Ross's sexuality goes under the microscope. The buzz about this program has been positive. Heck, anything's bound to be better than P.R. CBC-TV at 7:30 PM