Our Mission.
An orchestra is a medium. It is there to bring you on a journey. An orchestra’s strength comes from its ability to express musical ideas. Orchestre Fidelio is here to provide inspiring, compelling, expressive performances of Western music. The name is taken from Beethoven’s ethically inspired opera and represents a necessary artistic commitment. Through this commitment, this Montreal based ensemble hopes to enlighten and inspire its community.
BEN KEPES | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Ben Kepes is a conductor, pianist, composer and teacher based in Montréal, and founded Orchestre Fidelio in January 2020. Orchestre Fidelio held auditions in March 2020, days before the pandemic postponed planned activities. Orchestre Fidelio gave its first concert on March 4th 2023 at the Chapelle Bonsecours in Old Montréal, and will give its second on March 9th 2024 at the same venue.
Since 2017, Ben serves as the music director of Ensemble Hochelaga. This ensemble is unique in its integration of military, indigenous and classical repertoire in their concerts. In parallel, Ben also served as assistant conductor of the Orchestre a Vents Non Identifié in 2018 – 2020 under Maestro Jonathan Dagenais.
Since 2013 Ben has studied with Munich based conductor Konrad von Abel, who continues the artistic legacy of Sergiu Celibidache. Based on the phenomenology of music developed by Celibidache, studies under Konrad von Abel represent a main orientation point in Ben’s work as a musician.
Ben holds a MMus in orchestral conducting under the supervision of Alexis Hauser and Alain Cazes, and a BMus in composition from McGill’s Schulich School of Music. Ben’s conducting mentors include as well Carl-August Bünte and Eduardo Chibás.
Ben teaches on the music faculty of Marianopolis College, and privately teaches piano and conducting.
