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With his undeniable comic gifts, Benoît Brière quickly became a favourite with the general public in Québec for the many characters that he created in a long series of television commercials for Bell Canada (more than 140 over 14 years). At the same time, he has pursued a career in Québec theatre, films, and television. His movie credits include Séraphin, un homme et son péché, Joyeux Calvaire, and most notably La Grande Séduction. Marie Lafrance is one of Québec's best-known illustrators, thanks to her participation in several children's books, including Le Grand voyage by Monsieur Caca, La fée des bonbons, and La Diablesse and the Baby, for which she was a finalist of the Governor General's Literary Award. Ana Gerhard studied as a concert pianist at the Mexican National Conservatory. She has taught piano for several years and has hosted numerous radio programs dedicated to the promotion of classical music. Her previous works on introducing classical music to children, Listen to the Birds, Simply Fantastic, Amazing Water, and Little Creatures all received a Parents' Choice Award in the US. Founded in 1983, I Musici de Montréal is a chamber orchestra of 15 musicians that performs a vast repertoire extending from baroque to contemporary. The ensemble has released more than 40 recordings and presents a busy schedule of over 100 concerts per season throughout the world at some of the best-known concert halls, including New York City's Lincoln Centre, Brussels' Palais des Beaux-Arts, Tokyo's Kioi Hall, and Geneva's Victoria Hall. Jean-Marie Zeitouni has served as artistic director and principal conductor since 2011.
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