Jonathan Dagenais is a renowned conductor, composer and music educator who currently teaches conducting at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, where he also directed the McGill Wind Orchestra. In addition, he teaches composition at the Université de Sherbrooke. Alongside his academic duties, he maintains a busy career as a composer and arranger for wind orchestras. His works have been frequently performed and recorded, and feature in the repertoires of various North American festivals. His compositions are published worldwide by Alfred Music, Eighth Note Publications, Hafabra Music and TRN Music Publisher Inc.

A highly active conductor, Jonathan Dagenais has co-founded and been musical director of the Orchestre à Vents Non Identifié (OVNI) since 2005, a Montreal-based ensemble dedicated to collective listening, musical cohesion, sonic refinement and artistic exploration and humour. He has also conducted the Orchestre de Jeux Vidéo (OJV) since 2015, a natural association for him, as he has long been passionate about the videogame universe. Since 2019, he has been the conductor of the Ottawa Pops Orchestra (OPO) and headed the Cercle Philharmonique de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (CPSJ) from 2012 to 2022.

Deeply involved in music pedagogy, Mr. Dagenais regularly participates as an adjudicator and clinician in more than 35 North American festivals and competitions. Since 2017, he has also served as general and artistic director of MusicFest Québec, where he also acts as chief adjudicator. Every year, he is invited to conduct honorary ensembles and teaches at summer music camps. In 2013, he was selected to conduct the National Youth Band of Canada, the country’s most prestigious honorary band.