Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a renowned Canadian-American conductor, researcher and teacher, specializing in choral, vocal and orchestral repertoires. With a career spanning more than twenty years, he has conducted ensembles in North America, Europe and Asia, and collaborated with some of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Jean-Sébastien is currently Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, one of Canada’s most prestigious and historic choral ensembles, as well as of the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, his professional chamber ensemble. He is also a full professor at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, where he serves as Director of Choral Studies and Coordinator of Conducting and Large Ensembles. He was previously Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and a faculty member at the University of Redlands.
A passionate advocate of both the great repertoire and contemporary music, Vallée is renowned for his expressive interpretations, stylistic versatility and commitment to artistic excellence. His discography on the ATMA Classique label includes Remember (2024), Distance (2021), Requiem (2018, with works by Fauré and Duruflé) and Lux (2017), all critically acclaimed and released internationally.
Recent and upcoming performances include concerts at the Franz-Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, as well as concerts with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. In recognition of his remarkable contribution to the world of music, Jean-Sébastien was recently awarded the Grand Diplômé prize by Université Laval.