Le Grand Bill: A Musical Tale ^{Summer 2025}

Conteurs à gages is a Québec-based not-for-profit organization that harnesses the art of storytelling to raise awareness of environmental and socio-ecological issues. Conteurs à gages’ members believe that truly connecting with nature involves imagination, gentleness, and wonder.

Félix Morissette is a Québec storyteller and director of the organization Conteurs à gages, for which he creates eco-conscious performances grounded in nature, emotion and community. Inspired by the seasons, landforms, and by human relations, he weaves tales that blend zany eccentricity, compassion, and deep reflection on our coexistence with others and with nature. Educated in psychology, philosophy for children, and environmental studies, he forges connections between performance, oral transmission and our collective imagination.

Catherine Robert is a young, emerging storyteller whose art blends improvisation, sensitivity and creativity. Trained in educational and social adaptation, her lively and touching stories consistently captivate all audiences. For over ten years, she has explored theatrical improv with leagues including L’Abordage and La Mission, and developed performances that fuse poetic narration, humour, and real-life accounts.

She has performed on several festival stages, including at the Rendez-vous des Grandes Gueules and the Festival de contes et menteries de Québec. Her latest creation, Sur un coup de tête (a double entendre meaning both “on a whim” and “at a blow to the head”), explores the after-effects of concussions with finesse and humanity. Also active behind the scenes, she serves as Vice-President of Les Productions Ça commence à quelle heure and works to disseminate the spoken word arts.

Dominique Bégin is a violinist in the first violin section of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) string section. A member of the OSM since 2024, he completed a Bachelor’s degree at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec, a Master’s in chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a violin fellowship at the New World Symphony. He was awarded first prize in the San Francisco Conservatory Concerto Competition in 2021, first prize with the Calix Quartet in the Barbara Fritz Chamber Music Award in 2020, and the silver medal at the Canadian Music Competition in 2019. In addition to his orchestral career, Dominique is also co-founder of the Camp musical de Québec, which welcomes around a hundred young musicians each year for a three-week program.

Coming from a family of violinists, he says he “fell into the magic potion at a young age.” Indeed, both of his parents are violinists with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, and his sister is also a professional violinist. However, music was not always Dominique’s destined career path: he also has a background in computer science and even worked in that field for a time!