Musicians

The musicians of the orchestra

Discover our musicians, passionate artisans who bring our concerts to life. This page highlights their backgrounds, unique talents, and commitment to bringing today’s music to life.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Concertmaster

Chloé Chabanole

Chloé Chabanole began playing violin at a young age in her hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan. She is currently based in Montreal, where she serves as concertmaster of the Orchestre de l’Agora under conductor Nicolas Ellis and is a member of chamber music groups collectif9 and Warhol Dervish. She is regularly invited to play with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain and I Musici de Montréal, and she has also served as guest concertmaster of the Violons du Roy and Ensemble Caprice.

Chloé studied with Johannes Leertouwer at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, Laurence Kayaleh at the University of Montreal, and Marianne Dugal at the Montreal Conservatory of Music. During these formative years, she participated in numerous chamber and orchestral festivals including the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, the St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Colorado College Summer Music Festival and the Gustav Mahler Academy.

Her playing is featured on several Juno-recognized albums and she can often be heard at the Rendez-vous musical de Laterrière, Ottawa Chamberfest, Festival de Lanaudière, POP Montreal and Music at Port Milford, where she teaches chamber music.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Principal Second Violin

Julien Patrice

Originally from Montreal, Julien Patrice is an active violinist on the Quebec music scene. He holds a master’s degree in performance and a D.E.P.A. from the Université de Montréal, where he studied with Claude Richard.

He plays as assistant second violin with the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, section violinist with Sinfonia de Lanaudière, and principal second violin with the Orchestre de l’Agora. He also performs regularly with several leading ensembles, including the Orchestre Métropolitain, FILMharmonique de Montréal, Orchestre Philharmonique et Chœur des Mélomanes, Orchestre Classique de Montréal, and the Quebec and Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestras. He has also appeared as a soloist, notably with the Orchestre de l’Agora and Sinfonia de Lanaudière.

In addition to his performance career, Julien Patrice is actively involved in artistic administration. He is the Personnel Manager at the Orchestre de l’Agora and has recently taken on the orchestra’s artistic operations.

Dedicated, perfectionistic, and driven, Julien Patrice continues to lead and support a wide range of artistic projects, with a constant desire to deepen his musical expression and expand his expertise in arts management. His growing involvement with the Orchestre de l’Agora reflects his commitment to contributing meaningfully to cultural life, both on stage and behind the scenes, through projects that embody his artistic and human values.

Viola

Quinn Robinson

Violist Quinn Robinson recently completed an master degree in music from the University of Montreal studying with Juan-Miguel Hernandez, where he was the recipient of the Cécile and César Uguay Scholarship and the winner of the Bourse d’Excellence, the Bourse Luc Vinet and the Kunerth Mentorship program with the Orchestre Classique de Montréal. He previously studied at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with Ed Gazouleas, where he was awarded the Dr. Sarah Clevenger Scholarship. His summer music festival appearances include Toronto Summer Music, Keshet Eilon, Bowdoin, LyricaFest, Vivac-e! and the Borromeo Festival.

In addition to the Orchestre de l’Agora, he has been a guest musician with the Jacksonville Symphony, the Montreal International Bach Festival, the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Orchestre Classique de Montréal, the Sinfonia de Lanaudière, Violons du Roy, Collectif9, Quatuor Cobalt, the series Serenata at St. John’s and Projections Libérantes.

Solo viola (on probation)

Vincent Delorme

Originally from Chambly, Vincent Delorme completed his master’s degree at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal, where he received awards in viola and chamber music. Teachers such as Jocelyne Bastien (viola), Denis Brott (chamber music), and Éric Lagacé (jazz) are at the root of his effervescent artistic inspiration, which has also been enriched by occasional courses and master classes with international violists such as Antoine Tamestit, James Dunham, and Atar Arad.

Passionate about chamber music, Vincent is a founding member of the Andara Quartet, with which he performs on the Quebec music scene and participates in numerous residencies, seminars, and international festivals, taking advantage of these opportunities to learn from European and American masters such as Johannes Meissl, Mathieu Erzog, the members of the Cuartetto Quiroga, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Alban Berg Quartett, and many others.

Currently, Vincent is more committed than ever to sharing music and its timeless yet concrete messages with all audiences through various entrepreneurial projects such as the Andara Quartet, the Alice Bro Trio, AltoFest, Bach concert-lectures, the viola and Baroque dance, teaching, circus arts, poetry, and composition, in addition to holding regular positions in several orchestras in Quebec.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Cello

Thomas Beard

Originally from Wingham, Ontario, cellist Thomas Beard currently holds the positions of principal cello with the Orchester de l’Agora and assistant principal cello with the Orchester symphonique de Sherbrooke. He is also the coordinator of a series of concert-workshops presented at the Montreal Detention Facility (Bordeaux) and at the University Institute for Mental Health in Montreal. He studied with Paul Pulford at Wilfrid Laurier University before transferring to McGill University where he completed his Bachelor of Music degree with Yegor Dyachkov. He then completed his Masters of Music and Artist Diploma at McGill University, under the continued guidance of Yegor Dyachkov.

Thomas’ orchestral experience includes playing with the l’Orchestre classique de Montréal, Ensemble Classico-Moderne, FILMharmonique, l’Orcheste symphonique de Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (2009/ 2010), the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, and the National Academy Orchestra (2018/2019). He also distinguished himself by winning the Stratford Concerto Competition (2011), the McGill Chamber Music Competition (2014) taking him to Austria to perform, and participating in master classes given by Philippe Mueller, Chris Hoyle and Ralph Kirshbaum, Rachel Mercer, Johannes Moser, and Steven Isserlis.Thomas’ recently performed in the piano quartet for Fever’s production of ‘The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience’ in Montreal. He also recorded for BBC2 with the electro-acoustic artist Tim Hecker for the series ‘The North Water’ and continues to record for several indie/pop bands in Montreal.

Double bass

Vacant position

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Flute

Noémie Caron-Marcotte

Born in Mont-Tremblant, Noémie Caron-Marcotte begins learning the flute at the age of 6 with Claire Marchand at the McGill University Music Conservatory. She stands out during all her childhood by winning several competitions: 1st prize at the Concours des jeunes musiciens des Laurentides and 2nd place in her category at the Canadian Music Competition.

She began her studies in interpretation of the flute at Cégep Saint-Laurent under the direction of Ms. Diane Caplette, then at the Faculty of Music at the Université de Montréal where she completed, under the direction of Mrs. Lise Daoust, her Bachelor’s Degree (2011) and her Master’s Degree (2013), obtaining a mention of excellence for her final recital.

In 2017, Noémie completed a D.E.S.S. in orchestral excerpts at the piccolo under the direction of Ms. Caroline Séguin, Principal piccolo at the Orchestre Métropolitain. This specialization allows her to stand out at international auditions. She was a finalist for the position of Principal Piccolo at Florida Orchestra (May 2017), Nashville Symphony (April 2018) and San Diego Symphony (January 2019).

Noémie is now Principal Flute of the Orchestre de l’Agora, conducted by Nicolas Ellis, and joins in as a freelancer at the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières as well as ensembles within different musical styles, such as Oktopus.

A fine pedagogue and a valued teacher, she is also involved in many educational projects in the greater Montreal area, communicating her passion and her art.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Clarinet

Pedro Molina

Pedro Molina began playing clarinet at the age of 11, studying first with his father before moving on at the age of 15 to the National Conservatory of Music in Peru. In 2007, he relocated to France to study at the Conservatoire de Bordeaux with Richard Rimbert and in 2013, he obtained his master’s degree from the University of Montréal in the class of André Moisan.

In demand as a chamber musician and soloist, Pedro also has extensive orchestral experience. He has played with the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru, the Orchestre du Conservatoire de Bordeaux, the Orchestre Symphonique de Longueuil, the Orchestre de l’Agora and the Orchestre de l’Estuaire.

In the final year of his master’s degree, Pedro won first prize in the University of Montréal’s Concerto Competition and he was also invited to participate in Denmark’s prestigious Carl Nielsen competition.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Bass clarinet

Victor Alibert

In 2007, Victor received his classical training from Richard Rimbert and Stéphane Kwiatek at the Bordeaux Conservatory in France. In 2012, he moved to Canada to study with André Moisan at the University of Montreal where he completed his undergraduate degree. During his studies, Victor attended numerous masterclasses and had the chance to meet many great masters of the clarinet, such as Philippe Berrod, Martin Fröst, Jérôme Voisin and Philippe-Olivier Devaux.

Versatile musician, Victor Alibert has always been interested in classical and traditional music. Playing clarinets from the Eb to the bass, Victor actually performs in various styles going from Symphonic concerts with the Orchestre de l’Agora, Eastern European music with the Magillah and the Fanfare Carmagnole, and contemporary chamber music with the Paramirabo Ensemble.

With social projects at heart, Victor frequently collaborates with Les Porteurs de Musique, a social ensemble that hosts events in venues like shelters, hospitals and psychiatric institutes. Victor is also a percussionist in the batucada Movimento. He has been teaching clarinet since 2013 at Collège Notre Dame, and has been invited to teach masterclasses at the Domaine Forget and the Waterloo Region Contemporary Music Session with the Paramirabo Ensemble. In 2013, Victor Alibert was also the winner of the Concerto Competition at the University of Montreal and was awarded the second prize at the Festival du Royaume.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Bassoon

Gabrièle Dostie-Poirier

Born in Outaouais in 1991, Gabrièle Dostie-Poirier became a member of the Orchestre Métropolitain in November 2014 as a second bassoon player. She is regularly asked to play with Quebec musical formations. Violons du Roy, I Musici, symphonic orchestras like Montreal, Laval, Trois-Rivieres, Drummondville, Sherbrooke, Longueuil, Gatineau regularly ask for her services. This young bassoonist takes part in international tours with Orchestre Métropolitain and Violons du Roy. We can also hear her in recordings with ATMA, SONY Classical, Deutsch Grammophon, National Film Board of Canada and Tele-Quebec (for Genial!’s tv show). She played with the Orchestre symphonique de l’Agora since the first concert in 2013 and is now officially occupying the first bassoon chair.

She studied at Montreal Conservatory with Mathieu Harel and Stéphane Lévesque. Her studies ended with distinctions prices in chamber music and in bassoon. During her musical training, Gabrièle went to different summer academies such as: Pablo Casals’s Festival, Prades (France), Domaine Forget, Orford Arts Centre Academy for orchestra and octet programs, Brooke Valley Bassoon Days, Orchestre Réseau, National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Before playing the bassoon, she studied the violon with Vivaldistes de l’Outaouais between 1995 and 2010.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Oboe

Élise Poulin

Oboist Élise Poulin is very active on the Québec music scene. In 2019, she joined the celebrated wind quintet Pentaèdre and has since recorded several albums with the group for ATMA-Classique. In addition to being principal oboe of the Orchestre de l’Agora, Élise plays regularly with the Orchestre symphonique de Laval, the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil, the Orchestre symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, the Orchestre Classique de Montréal, the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ), and the BOP ensemble. She can also be heard playing English horn on the soundtrack to the film « Les P’tits Cochons 2 », (music by Martin Léon). She is regularly invited to perform at festivals such as the Festival du Bic, the Festival Classica, and the Festival de Lanaudière.

Élise has been awarded several scholarships, most notably from the Fondation Pierre Rolland, the Stingray Rising Stars Program, and the Fondation du Père-Lindsay. In collaboration with Orford Music, the Fondation du Père-Lindsay scholarship allowed her to partake in a career development program aimed specifically at young musicians through the HEC-Montréal business school.

Élise began playing oboe at 12 years old at Joseph-François-Perrault high school. She then went on to study with Lise Beauchamp at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and Olivier Doise at the CRR de Boulogne-Billancourt in Paris. She is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at the Université de Montréal under Vincent Boilard and Caroline Traube and she teaches oboe at Pierre Laporte high school and the Coopérative des professeurs de musique.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Percussions

David Therrien Brongo

Multi-percussionist based in Montreal, David Therrien Brongo has a career as a performer, educator and researcher. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Fourth Prize (Guy Soucie Prize) at the prestigious Concours Prix d’Europe 2021. He is principal percussionist of Ensemble Paramirabo and principal timpanist-percussionist of Orchestre de l’Agora and of Orchestre symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean as well as co-artistic director of Duo AIRS. David Brongo regularly performs with the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Sixtrum and the Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal (ECM +).

Active on the international scene, David has performed in England, Denmark, Spain, Mexico, France and across Canada. Holding degrees from the University of Montreal and the Superior School of Music of Catalonia in Barcelona, he is now pursuing his doctoral studies at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. His researches are funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). David Therrien Brongo is an artist endorser of Dream Cymbals and Gongs.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Horn

Guillaume Roy

Guillaume starts learning music at age 10 on the piano, and 3 years later on the horn. After studying at the Conservatoire de musique de Rimouski, he then moves to Montreal to study with Denys Derome at McGill University where he completes his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in performance.

In the summer of 2009, he acts as principal horn for the Montreal Youth Orchestra tour in Belgium and Germany. In June of 2013, he is invited to play, as a brass quintet member, for the celebrations of the Normandy Landing’s 74th Anniversary in Courseuilles-sur-Mer, France. He has been a member of the Orchestre symphonique de l’Estuaire from 2001 to 2016, and frequently performs as a freelancer throughout the province of Quebec with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the orchestras of Longueuil, Laval, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Saguenay, and many different chamber music ensembles.

Passionate about music in all its forms, he is also an avid arranger and orchestrator, as well as an active teacher in the greater Montreal area.