Biography
Montreal soprano Charlotte Corwin has established herself as an accomplished performer of opera and concert repertoire, both as a soloist and choral singer. Charlotte completed an apprenticeship at L’Atelier Lyrique de L’Opéra de Montréal in 2008, and subsequently went on to perform roles with L’Opéra de Québec, Pacific Opera Victoria, Edmonton Opera and others. As a concert soloist, Charlotte has had the pleasure of working with orchestras and choral ensembles such as Les Violons du Roi, I Musici, Aradia, Kingston Symphony Orchestra and many others. Charlotte also enjoys collaborating with artists and organizations creating and promoting new music. Highlights of Charlotte’s choral experience include three tours with the National Youth Choir of Canada and co-founding the chamber ensemble Concerto Della Donna, as well as working with various Montreal choral institutions, including an ongoing tour of Joby Talbot’s masterpiece Path of Miracles with the ensemble Voces Boreales. Charlotte has been a member of the choir of the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul since 2015. Whether she is participating in the creation of new works or exploring established repertoire, Charlotte is passionate about creating meaningful works of art that engage the imagination and spirit of performers and audience alike. Charlotte has dual U.S. and Canadian Citizenship
Biography
Nicolas Ellis is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Orchestre de l’Agora in Montreal and Music Director of the Orchestre National de Bretagne. Since 2023, he is also the Principal Guest Conductor of Les Violons du Roy.
He currently stands out as one of the most active conductors on the Canadian musical scene, as well as for his artistic and social commitment within the Montreal community. Known for his versatility in a vast repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to contemporary music, Nicolas also distinguishes himself as a thoughtful programmer with a concern for the dramaturgical line that unites the works programmed. In recent years, he has acted as assistant conductor to Raphaël Pichon and his Ensemble Pygmalion in opera productions at the Opéra comique and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and has also held the position of Artistic Collaborator to the Orchestre Métropolitain and Yannick Nézet-Séguin from 2018 to 2023.
As a guest conductor, Nicolas has conducted the Vancouver Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. More recently, he has appeared with the Graz Opera and the San Diego Symphony and the 2024-2025 season will take him to conduct in Finland, Germany, Luxembourg and France.
In 2023, he won a JUNO award in the Classical Album of the Year – large ensemble category, with the Orchestre de l’Agora and violist Marina Thibeault for the album Viola Borealis. Agora also won the Prix Opus for Musical Event of the Year for its Gala de la Terre featuring Mahler’s 3rd Symphony. At the heart of Agora’s mission, Nicolas has set up projects with teenagers struggling with mental health problems, educational workshops and a series of monthly concerts at the Bordeaux Prison in Montreal.
Nicolas Ellis is the recipient of the 2017 Fernand Lindsay Career Grant and was also awarded the Prix Goyer Mécénat Musica 2021.
