Robert Filion has spent the past 20 years bringing choirs to the pinnacle of choral excellence. Recognized across Canada, his choirs earn top awards at local, provincial and national levels. His vocal ensembles from École sécondaire De La Salle have won 5 national championships. Robert Filion’s choirs are heard and seen regularly on the airwaves of CBC and Radio-Canada. The voice programme he heads in the performing arts stream at É.s. De La Salle was twice designated Best Music Programme in the National Capital by the Kiwanis Music Festival and CBC (2008 and 2012).
A talented musician and artistic director, in 2011 Robert Filion was appointed Artistic Director of Unisong, the annual Canada Day festival of Canadian choirs at the National Arts Centre, and the European Union Carol Concert in Ottawa. He works with the National Arts Centre Orchestra on concerts involving youth choirs.
Mr. Filion focuses on new works and music from around the world, directing the Canadian premieres of the Clifford Crawley opera Angel Square, Glenn McClure’s Messe des Caraïbes, Misa Tango by Luis Bacalov and Missa Popularis by Claus Bantzer. He has collaborated on productions of original Canadian works by Ruth Watson-Henderson, Peter Togni, Stéphanie Martin, Stephen Hatfield, Donald Patriquin, Frédéric Lacroix and Clifford Crawley. Robert Filion likes to surprise his audiences, and offers them the experience of all kinds of music.
Robert Filion directed the Choeur classique de l’Outaouais from 1997 to 2011, when it earned the prestigious Liette Turner award. Under his direction between 2002 and 2007, the Ottawa Children’s Choir won the international Angel Network prize for the Radio-Canada/CBC broadcast Evergreen Wishes.
Robert Filion holds an Ontario Teaching Certificate and is a member of the Association of Canadian Choral Communities, the American Choral Directors Association, and is a member of the Board of Choirs Ontario. Mr. Filion was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in Canada.