Last day of January 2026
- elainebac1
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Shows and books:
Circus and opera collide for the “Clown(s)” premiere tonight at Opéra de Montréal. The latest contemporary opera from Quebec composer Ana Sokolovic tells the story of the life cycle of clowns, using opera, acrobatics and other circus elements, all in the same show! We speak with mezzo-soprano soloist Mireille Lebel about his unique production.
Now at Place des arts:
The clown fascinates young and old alike—artists and audiences alike. Among them is Montreal-based composer Ana Sokolović, who took part in our Mot pour mots series as Clown(s) by the Opéra de Montréal enters the heart of its rehearsal process, ahead of its world premiere on January 31. She introduces her new creation, an ode to humanity that blends invented language, music, and magic, immersing us in the fantastical world of the circus and its performers.
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Jennifer Chevalier goes into the history of New France in “The Winter Witch”. CBC Ottawa producer Jennifer Chevalier’s debut novel looks at the story of the “Filles du Roy” in the 17th century. She talks about the idea that witches may have helped settle Quebec and the difficulties faced by women at the time.
At Paragraphe Books - 2220 McGill College Ave. - Join the author at Paragraphe Bookstore at 2pm, Sunday, Feb 1st for spruce beer and stories about the past.
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Exhibits:
Winter Count: Embracing the Cold - Exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa). Featuring more than 150 works from the early 19th century to the present, this exhibition brings together Indigenous, Canadian settler and European perspectives on the subject.
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News:
Catherine O'Hara set 'highest bar there is,' says comedian Aurora Brown. When Aurora Brown of Baroness Von Sketch Show was growing up in Thunder Bay, Ont., she’d watch Catherine O’Hara on SCTV on Saturdays, mesmerized. She would later follow in the Canadian icon's footsteps, honing her craft at Second City, where O'Hara's portrait hung on the wall. “She’s what you aim for,” Brown told As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal.
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Photography:
Hand-printed photography as inheritance: Jurga Ramonaite on Arctic landscapes and memory-keeping. In Beneath the Surface Skin, chemigrams made with Arctic seawater and glacial portraits become letters across loss. Jurga Ramonaite grew up hearing her father’s stories of travel under Soviet occupation, when journeys beyond Soviet territories were rare and precious. Years later, encouraged by him to visit the Arctic, she made the journey for both of them. Beneath the Surface Skin – her debut solo exhibition at Raleigh Chapel – transforms those Arctic photographs into an ongoing conversation through the physical act of darkroom printing.
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Beautiful music - ANA VIDOVIC - 2025 Classical Guitar Concert | Siccas Guitars | BACH, Piazzolla, Schubert.
Acoustic Guitar Magazine
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