NicolasEllis
- Conductor
About Nicolas
Music Director: Orchestre National de Bretagne Artistic Director: Orchestre de l'Agora Principal Guest Conductor: Les Violons du Roy
Nicolas Ellis debuts this season with the Warsaw Philharmonic, Orchestre de chambre de Paris, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Welsh National Opera. He returns to the Sydney Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s (making his Carnegie Hall debut), Hamburg Symphoniker and Tampere Philharmonic.
Now in his third season as Music Director of the Orchestre National de Bretagne, together they will soon perform a world premiere by Iranian composer Golfam Khayam, a youth production inspired by Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, featuring music by Franco-Argentine composer Ezequiel Spucches, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 in a project bringing together the ONB and Orchestre de Picardie. During 26/27, he will also conduct the orchestra from the pit in a new production of Cosi fan tutte at the Opéra de Rennes
Nicolas is Founder and Artistic Director of the Orchestre de l’Agora, which he has led in Montreal since 2013. His work with the ensemble reflects the same commitment to making the orchestra a place of creation and discovery. Its Gala de la Terre, presented this year as part of the opening concert of the Festival de Lanaudière, brought together Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Katia Makdissi-Warren’s Chorus Nunavik, featuring Inuit throat singers Lydia Etok and Nina Segalowitz. The event also raised significant funds in support of Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Contact
For availability and general enquiries:
Henry Lindsay
For contracts, logistics and press:
Anastasia Popov
Representation
Season Highlights
Video
- Playing
Nicolas Ellis conducts Mahler Symphony no. 3 - Excerpt
An excerpt of Nicolas Ellis conducting Mahler Symphony No. 3 with his Orchestre de l'Agora at the Maison symphonique in Montreal Credit: Orchestre de l'Agora
Nicolas Ellis conducts Shostakovich 5 - Excerpt
An excerpt of Nicolas Ellis conducting Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 with the Orchestre Métropolitain Credit: Orchestre Métropolitain
Nicolas Ellis conducts Strauss 'Don Juan'
Nicolas Ellis with the Orchestre Métropolitain at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal Credit: Orchestre Métropolitain
Nicolas Ellis conducts Gluck: Armide "Enfin il est en ma puissance"
Nicolas Ellis with Violons du Roy and Karina Gauvin at Le Domaine Forget Credit: Violons du Roy
Nicolas Ellis conducts Mozart Symphony no. 25
Nicolas Ellis with Violons du Roy at the Le Domaine Forget Credit: Violons du Roy
Sarah Dufresne sings Mozart - Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!
Nicolas Ellis with the Orchestre Métropolitain and Sarah Dufresne Credit: Orchestre Métropolitain
Photos
News
Nicolas Ellis debuts with San Francisco Symphony
Nicolas Ellis debuts with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra
Nicolas Ellis debuts with Opéra de Rennes conducting his first Die Zauberflöte
Debuts for Nicolas Ellis in Tampere, Luxembourg and Sydney
New Music Directors launch their inaugural season
Nicolas Ellis debuts with San Diego Symphony
Nicolas Ellis announced as Music Director of l'Orchestre National de Bretagne
Nicolas Ellis returns to the Orchestre National de Bretagne
Askonas Holt welcomes conductor Nicolas Ellis
Press
Classic Hour: Schumann
Opéra, RennesSep 2025Le prestige et la vitesse: deux qualités que Nicolas Ellis maîtrise parfaitement" "Prestige and speed: two qualities that Nicolas Ellis masters perfectly
- Classykêo
- 23 September 2025
Mozart The Magic Flute
Opera de RennesMay 2025À la tête de l’Orchestre National de Bretagne, Nicolas Ellis joue des tempi justes et parfois ralentis, permettant ainsi davantage de contrastes pour un effet dramatique renforcé. Sa direction est incisive, articulée dès l’ouverture, en accord avec les intentions du metteur en scène, élégante et non démonstrative. Il alterne avec fluidité les pages aux styles variés, toujours soucieux de l’équilibre fosse-plateau. L’orchestre dynamisé par l’arrivée du jeune chef canadien en Directeur musical participe ainsi pleinement à cette soirée « enchantée », longuement ovationnée par le public conquis." "At the helm of the Orchestre National de Bretagne, Nicolas Ellis plays at the right tempo, sometimes slowing down to create greater contrasts and enhance the dramatic effect. His conducting is incisive and articulate from the opening bars, in keeping with the director's intentions, elegant and understated. He moves fluidly between pieces of varying styles, always mindful of the balance between the orchestra pit and the stage. The orchestra, energised by the arrival of the young Canadian conductor as Musical Director, plays a full part in this ‘enchanted’ evening, which receives a long ovation from the captivated audience.
- Olyrix
- 09 May 2025
Strauss Alpine Symphony
Orchestre de l'AgoraJun 2024Ce chef est d’un talent (à cet âge) vraiment hors du commun." "This conductor's talent (at this age) is truly extraordinary.
- Le Devoir
- 13 June 2024
Mozart Marriage of Figaro
Montreal OperaSep 2023Le spectacle est drôle et fonctionne à merveille…, s’adaptant au flot continu généré par Nicolas Ellis... Le chef québécois fait des prouesses, dans les nuances et surtout la respiration dramatique, sur des détails parfois saisissants, comme la manière dont le premier air de Cherubino s’insinue dans un même souffle dans le dialogue." "The show is funny and works perfectly…, adapting to the constant flow generated by Nicolas Ellis... The Québécois conductor demonstrates his prowess in his use of dynamic contrasts and, above all, dramatic breathing, with details that are sometimes striking, such as the way Cherubino's first aria insinuates itself into the dialogue in the same breath.
- Le Devoir
- 25 September 2023
Haydn, Mozart and Gluck
Les Violons du RoyMar 2023Après une 5e Symphonie de Chostakovitch fulgurante, Nicolas Ellis vient de nous donner une des plus belles symphonies de Mozart entendues en 20 ans à Montréal." "After a dazzling Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich, Nicolas Ellis has just given us one of the most beautiful Mozart symphonies heard in Montreal in the last 20 years.
- Le Devoir
- 11 March 2023
Mahler Symphony No. 3
Orchestre de l’AgoraJun 2022Le talent de ce musicien est une bénédiction" "The talent of this musician is a blessing
- Le Devoir
- 23 June 2022
Les Violons du Roy with soloist Kerson Leong
Festival de LanaudièreJul 2021...ce jeune musicien caméléon est un phénomène... Souple, délicat, pulsant, le chef a montré une grande maturité dans l’art de créer une dynamique interne très élastique aux phrases musicales sans jamais les brusquer par des à-coups ou des effets." "...this young chameleon musician is a phenomenon... Supple, delicate, pulsating, the conductor showed great maturity in the art of creating a very elastic internal dynamic to the musical phrases without ever rushing them with jolts or effects.
- Le Devoir
- 26 July 2021
Mozart, Bourget, Marsolais, Murphy & Strauss
Orchestre MétropolitainMay 2021Nicolas Ellis dirigeait And So Be Changed to Lightning in the End, de Kelly Marie Murphy, et Don Juan, de Strauss, avec une poigne et une tenue impressionnantes." "Nicolas Ellis conducted And So Be Changed to Lightning in the End, by Kelly Marie Murphy, and Don Juan, by Strauss, with an impressive grip and hold.
- Le Devoir
- 21 May 2021
Comfort Concert
Orchestre symphonique de QuébecNov 2020Le chef Nicolas Ellis a dirigé le tout avec simplicité et naturel, sans excès de pathos, mais toujours avec sincérité et spontanéité. Il a simplement laissé parler la musique, ce qu’il fallait faire dans ces circonstances. Ce moment très spécial semblait également émouvoir les musiciens." "Conductor Nicolas Ellis conducted the whole thing with simplicity and naturalness, without excessive pathos, but always with sincerity and spontaneity. He simply let the music speak for itself, which was the right thing to do in these circumstances. This very special moment seemed to move the musicians as well. Emmanuel Bernier, La Presse, 20 November 2020
- La Presse
- 20 November 2020
Beethoven and Brown
Orchestre MétropolitainMay 2019He has evidently earned the respect of the Métropolitain, as they were impressively responsive to his gestures.
- Bachtrack
- 16 May 2019
Mozart Opera Night
Orchestre de l'AgoraFeb 2018Nicolas Ellis et l’Orchestre de l’Agora ne font décidément rien comme les autres." "Nicolas Ellis and the Agora Orchestra do nothing like the others.
- Le Devoir
- 05 February 2018
