Video Beethoven, the Heavy Metal of the Early 19th Century! | Nicolas Ellis | TEDxYouth@Montreal

Young orchestral conductor, Nicolas Ellis, shares his passion for conducting and for one of his favorite composers.

Originating from Chicoutimi, Nicolas Ellis is the founder and artistic director of the OSA: l’Orchestre symphonique de l’Agora. This organization’s mission is to raise funds for social, humanitarian and environmental aide organizations. Alongside his activities with the orchestra, Nicolas was recently appointed conductor in residence of I Musici de Montréal’’s chamber orchestra and will assume his duties in June 2015.

In the summer of 2013, he participated in the Accademia Chigiana in Sienne, Italy, where he worked with Maestro Gianluigo Gelmetti and with the della Fondazione Bulgaria Classic orchestra. This past summer, at the Aspen Music Festival and School, he worked beside Robert Spano, conductor of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. During his time in Aspen, he participated in many master classes including those given by Leonard Slatkin, Hugh Wolff and Johanne Debus. It was in Aspen where Nicolas was named assistant conductor for the production of Carmen and worked alongside Spanish conductor Josep Caballé-Domenech.

In 2010, Nicolas was distinguished as first place prize winner in the under 18-year category for piano at the Canada Music Competition. In 2013, semi-finalist in the Jeunesses Musicales International Conducting Competition in Bucharest, Romania, he conducted the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra.

Nicolas completed his baccalaureate in classical piano, under Jean Saulnier, at the University of Montreal in 2013. Since then, he has studied orchestral conducting under Alexis Hauser at McGill University where he was the recipient of a Prestigious Schulich Scholarship.

When not preoccupied with his studies, Nicolas can be found with a soya latte in hand, walking his magnificent Labrador-mix, Suki, down Bernard Street in Montreal.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx