Editorial

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With this issue, we celebrate the one-year anniversary of La SCENA, our new interdisciplinary arts magazine. When we launched the magazine, our vision was to unite all art forms in a common forum to promote the exchange of news, ideas, education and innovation between artists, art organizations and art lovers. We also strived to defend the arts from attack as in the case of Bill C-10 and the changes at the CBC. In August, the Conservative government confirmed cuts to arts funding totaling $40 million including two integral grant programs (PromArts and Trade Routes) that enabled Canadian arts and cultural groups to promote abroad. The Canadian Magazine Fund’s budget for 2009-10 has also been cut 20%. Facing these adversities, it is more urgent than ever that we work together, across disciplines and throughout the community to protect and support Canadian arts and music.

Since the inaugural issue several of the most integral and influential people in Canadian arts have graced our covers, including filmmaker Denis Arcand, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean and Jean-Daniel Lafond, and Canada Council VP, Culture Montreal president and National Theatre School General Director Simon Brault. This issue’s cover artist is Placido Domingo, the world-renowned tenor who works tirelessly as a performer, conductor, philanthropist and arts administrator. He is the driving force behind Operalia, a program which nurtures and supports young opera singers at the beginning of their career.

This issue also launches our 13th year of publishing La Scena Musicale. To celebrate we’ve compiled a special issue on the Organ. Also in this issue is our Fall Music Preview, A Buyer’s Guide for Piano, the beginning of our series on Messiaen and a continuation of our Puccini series. In La SCENA we’re featuring Andy Warhol, the ultimate interdisciplinary artist, and Denis Coté, a prominent Quebec filmmaker who recently won international accolades for latest film, Elle veut le chaos. For Back to School we’re launching a series on Music Education and celebrating the 70th anniversary of The Children’s Theatre.

The federal, provincial and municipal arts councils announced their funding decisions over the summer, and La Scène musicale/The Music Scene (LSM/TMS), the non-profit charity that publishes this magazine, again found itself excluded from their funding programs. Other magazines receive 50% to 75% of their budgets from grants. LSM/TMS only requested 20%, but unfortunately the bureaucracy does not recognize our work in promoting music and the arts. We are not deterred. More innovation is on its way. We are pleased to introduce the new La SCENA Arts Lover Card, which will allow arts and music fans to experience arts and culture with discounts and special promotions including access to the Naxos Music Library (a $189 value) while receiving copies of our magazines in the mail. See details on page 2, or visit LaSCENACard.scena.org. Our goal is to develop a network and community of arts lovers across the country. Watch for new developments of our website SCENA.org. We are also organizing a series of fundraising activities to support our work (see page LSM45).

On behalf of our dedicated team of staff and volunteers, I wish you a great artistic 2008-09 season.