Opus

Opus

Opus (named Music Magazine 1978-1991, Classical Music Magazine 1991-8) is an English-language magazine that was founded in Toronto by publisher Anne Barrett and editor Ulla Colgrass. The first of its six annual issues appeared in February 1978. Designed as a general classical music magazine, each issue included an average of five feature articles dealing with Canadian and international music and musicians, as well as regular book and record reviews, and, until December 1986, an opinion column, "Speaking of Music" by Michael Colgrass. Writers were largely Canadian and Ulla Colgrass herself was a frequent contributor. Barrett was succeeded as publisher by Valerie F.T. Fletcher in April 1987 and Anthony D. Copperthwaite in 1991; Colgrass was succeeded as editor in October 1987 by Elizabeth Scott (one issue), Rick MacMillan 1987-95, Derek Deroy [Copperthwaite] 1995-8, and Gladys Deboot in 1998 (one issue). MacMillan returned as editor-in-chief 1999-2008.

To celebrate its tenth anniversary the magazine published (Sep-Oct 1987) "Ten years of Music Magazine," a classified index to its feature articles. From the Nov-Dec 1987 to July 1991 issues, it included, as an insert, the Royal Conservatory of Music Bulletin. With the exception of the Jan-Feb 1987 issue (not published during the changeover in ownership), the magazine provided coverage of a variety of musical topics.

The title was changed, beginning with the July 1991 issue, to Classical Music Magazine. It was published five times per year until 1995 and quarterly thereafter. The magazine discontinued the Royal Conservatory of Music Bulletin and introduced the news series "World of Music." Articles were reduced to two or three in each issue, and regular columns included "Opera Views" by Neil Crory, "The Collector" by David Lennick, "Collecting Thoughts" by Bruce Surtees, "Audiofile," and "The Listening Post."

Classical Music Magazine was renamed Opus: Canada's Essential Jazz & Classical Music Source in 1999. In Spring 2001 the magazine discontinued its jazz features and returned to a classical music format. It was published quarterly by Warwick Publishing Group, and beginning in 2006, by Ontra Enterprises. Opus suspended publication following the Spring 2008 issue.