A Peek into Pierrot: Nicolas Ellis, The Maestro

Nicolas Ellis est le chef assistant en résidence à l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec, ainsi que directeur artistique et fondateur de l’Orchestre symphonique de l’Agora.

Ses récents engagements l’ont amené à travailler avec la Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini in Parma, la Camerata Salzburg, le North Czech Philharmonic et l’Orchestre de la Francophonie. À l’invitation de Yannick Nézet-Séguin, M. Ellis a dirigé cinq concerts avec l’Orchestre Métropolitain lors de leur tournée estivale québécoise à l’été 2017. Ces concerts lui ont valu des éloges de la critique et il a été décrit comme "un chef né, un chef d’instinct" - Le Devoir. Ses concerts avec l’Orchestre symphonique de l’Agora ont été capté et diffusé à deux reprises sur les ondes de ICI Musique.

Ayant participé au Aspen Music Festival (2014) et à l’Accademia Chigiana à Sienne (2013), M. Ellis a eu la chance de travailler auprès de chefs d’orchestre tels que Robert Spano, Leonard Slatkin, Hugh Wolff, Johannes Debus et Gianluigi Gelmetti. En 2016, Il a participé à une classe de maître au Festival de Pâques d’Aix-en-Provence avec le chef d’orchestre Louis Langrée et a été nommé par le Canadian Broadcasting Company comme étant l’un des musiciens les plus en vue au Canada pour l’année. Il a complété ses études en direction d’orchestre auprès de Alexis Hauser à la Schulich School of Music de l’Université McGill où il a été récipiendaire d’une Pretigious Schulich Scholarship.

Il est récipiendaire du prix Heinz Unger 2015, décerné par le Conseil des Arts de l’Ontario. Ce prix d'envergure nationale, décerné tous les deux ans, vise à reconnaître à la fois le talent d’un jeune chef d'orchestre canadien professionnel, sa musicalité, et son engagement envers le répertoire et les musiciens canadiens. Plus récemment, il a été le récipiendaire de la prestigieuse Bourse de carrière Fernand-Lindsay 2017 d’une valeur de 50 000$. Cette bourse est remise à tous les deux ans et vise à soutenir un jeune musicien ambitieux dans la réalisation de ses objectifs de carrière.

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Nicolas Ellis is currently the Resident Conductor at the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and Artistic Director and Founder of the Orchestre symphonique de l’Agora in Montreal.

His recent engagements have brought him to work with the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini in Parma, the Camerata Salzburg, the North Czech Philharmonic and the Orchestre de la Francophonie. At the invitation of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Mr. Ellis conducted a 5 concert tour in the province of Québec during the summer of 2017, which has earned him praises from the critics and was described as "a born conductor, a conductor of instinct" - Le Devoir. In addition, Mr. Ellis’s concerts with the Orchestre symphonique de l’Agora were nationally broadcasted on Radio-Canada (2015, 2016).

Conducting fellow at the Aspen Music Festival (2014) and at the Accademia Chigiana di Siena (2013), Mr. Ellis has had the opportunity to work with great conductors such as Robert Spano, Leonard Slatkin, Hugh Wolff, Johannes Debus and Gianluigi Gelmetti. He also took part in a masterclass with Maestro Louis Langrée at the Festival de Pâques d’Aix-en-Provence (2016). In addition, Mr. Ellis was named in the Top 30 of the most promising Canadian Musicians in 2016 by the Canadian Broadcasting Company. He completed his Master’s degree in conducting at the McGill Schulich School of Music in Montreal, where he studied with Alexis Hauser and was a recipient of a Prestigious Schulich Scholarship.

Mr. Ellis is the recipient of the Heinz Unger Award 2015 delivered by the Ontario Arts Council. This national award, presented biennially to an emerging professional Canadian conductor, recognizes talent and promise, musicianship, and commitment to Canadian repertoire and Canadian musicians. In 2017, Mr. Ellis was recipient of the Bourse de carrière Fernand Lindsay, a 50 000$ prize presented biennially to the most promising emerging Canadian musician by the Fondation Père-Lindsay.

Are you originally from Montreal? If not what brought you here?

I am originally from Chicoutimi in beautiful Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region. I came to Montreal to pursue my piano studies at the University of Montreal.

Do you come from a musical family?

Yes, my parents are both professional musicians and are member of the Quatuor Saguenay (previously called the Quatuor Alcan). My brother also played cello for while and now his passion is theatre and studies stage design as well as putting up some pretty cool plays in Montreal.

Is there a particular composition or composer that is a favorite of yours?

Tough question... Beethoven's Pastorale would be one. Schumann's piano music and Schubert's songs are my faves.

Have you always wanted to conduct? What is your primary instrument?

My primary instrument is piano and I started to develop an interest in conducting during my undergrad studies.

Do you have any advice for young, aspiring musicians?

I still consider myself as a young musician with lots of aspirations... Something that keeps me going is to create new projects and may be these projects always be guided by artistic curiosity!

Join Nicolas and the rest of the Pierrot ensemble at La Sala Rossa on December 10th at 7:30pm (4848 blvd Saint-Laurent). Tickets are available online by clicking here and buying them in advance scores you a 10% discount!