Team

Aline Blain
Francine Mathieu
Benoit Sauvé
Claudine Crépin
Suzanne Ouellet
Marine Denis
Sharon Novak
Reza Alizadeh
Jean-Pierre Vu
Ines Gueddana
Sylvie Letendre

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Executive director

Jean-Frédéric Caron

Jean-Frédéric Caron has been Executive Director of the Agora Orchestra (OA) since June 2019. Since his arrival, he has helped position the ensemble as a leading player that uses music as a tool for sustainable social change, while offering innovative and daring concerts, including the Gala de la Terre, which has raised $513,000 for Canadian environmental organizations since 2020.

A trained violinist, he completed solo internships at Orford Musique and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and took part in orchestra tours in Germany, Belgium, and China. Before joining the OA, he headed the marketing and communications department of the Orchestre symphonique de Laval from 2013 to 2019, where he raised the organization’s profile by increasing its media presence, among other things.

At the Orchestre de l’Agora, he has developed numerous artistic, governmental, and institutional partnerships, notably with the Montreal Detention Center, where a series of monthly concert-workshops has reached more than 1,200 inmates since 2021—a first in Canada. Under his leadership, the ensemble’s annual revenues have grown from $200,000 to $1.2 million (2019-2024), and a $2.5 million endowment fund has been established in perpetuity, ensuring the OA’s long-term viability.

A frequent guest speaker at various events (HEC Montréal, Festival de Lanaudière, Classical:Next in Berlin in 2025), he was the recipient of the 2022 ARDI Award for Innovation in Cultural Philanthropy (Cultural Organization Manager), presented by HEC Montréal. A graduate in communications from UQAM, he also volunteers with UNICEF Canada.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Manager, Communications and Philanthropy

Audrey Chea

Native of France in the Paris area, Audrey Chea immigrated to Canada at a young age to study at Université de Montréal, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Passionate about the Arts and Culture, she decided after her journey in accounting to reorient herself by joining the DESS in Management – cultural organizations at HEC Montréal. As a creative assistant for SACO Technologies, she had the opportunity to coordinate the creation and installation of the world’s largest lighting façade on the iconic Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai.

Audrey was then hired by several agencies that represent talents, a position that allowed her to develop her management skills while remaining in the artistic field. She then obtained her master’s degree in Cultural Organization Management at HEC Montréal. She embraces Orchestre de l’Agora’s principles and values and proudly joins the team in 2021 in order to support the orchestra throughout its projects.

Photo credit: Nadia Zheng

Music librarian

Jeff Poussier Leduc

Musician, artist, Jeff Poussier Leduc is a curious, sensitive and versatile bassoonplayer. Native from Farnham in the Eastern Townships, his academic journey brought him to Cégep de Sherbrooke, Consevatoire de musique de Montréal andfinally, to Université de Montréal where he received, in 2016, a Master’s degree in the class of his friend and mentor, Mathieu Lussier. Through the years, he has worked as a freelance musician, playing in many orchestras throughout Québec and participated in varied chamber music projectst hat hold a special place for him.

Other than bassoon, Jeff specializes in contrabassoon and has lead as music librarian for multiple Montréal ensembles.Since 2023, he is proud to share his expertise and preciseness with the Orchestre de l’Agora team while managing the music library.

Manager, Finance and Administration

Anne-Louise Gilbert

Born in Montreal, Anne-Louise Gilbert began learning the cello at a very young age within a family where music was ever-present. She is a graduate of the Université de Montréal, where she pursued her advanced studies under Johanne Perron and Yegor Dyachov, in addition to a period of study at the Haute École de Musique de Genève with Ophélie Gaillard. She holds a master’s degree and obtained a postgraduate diploma in advanced professional studies as a third-cycle student.

Her diverse stage experiences have led her to perform around the world, from the west coast of North America to Australia, as well as throughout Europe. Her career path is versatile; she has toured as a cellist with a circus troupe and can also be found working on film sets and in recording studios. In addition, she performs with various classical music ensembles, both in symphony orchestras and in chamber music settings.

Alongside her life as a musician, Anne-Louise has been working as an administrator with the Orchestre de l’Agora team since 2025. She is delighted to contribute to the organization’s artistic project, combining her strong sense of rigor, her kindness, and a committed work ethic.

Cultural Mediation Intern

Adèle Chauvineau

Originally from France, Adèle moved to Montréal at 18 to pursue an undergraduate degree at the Université de Montréal. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with a focus on social justice issues, she developed a critical perspective on social and cultural inequalities. Convinced that art and culture can be powerful levers for social transformation, she is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Cultural Organizations Management at HEC Montréal.

Her academic path has also been enriched by courses in Art History (theoretical and critical approaches) as well as Cultural and Critical Film Studies, deepening her interest in artistic practices and their social impact.