Born in Montréal, Émile Grou is a conductor who is characterized by his thoughtful and unifying leadership, and his desire for artistic excellence. In 2024, he finished a Specialized Master's degree in Orchestral Conducting at the Haute École de Musique de Genève with Prof. Laurent Gay and obtained the highest grade of his cohort. He had previously completed a Masters in Conducting at the University of Toronto and a Bachelor's degree in Composition at the University of Montreal. As part of his final exam, he made his debut with the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie.
In addition to his studies with Laurent Gay, Émile Grou also participated in a large variety of festivals and masterclasses around the world. He most recently was selected as a promising Canadian conductor for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's RBC Canadian Conductor Showcase 2025. He also conducted multiple professional orchestras, notably the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie, the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, the Winnipeg Symphony Ochestra, and many others. In 2023, Emile was selected to be the assistant conductor on an opera production with Facundo Agudin at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.
Additionally, he was also invited to participate in the Allegra Masterclass and Festival with Prof. Johannes Schlaefli and Christoph-Mathias Mueller. For this he received a Professional Development Scholarship from the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec.
Starting in September 2025, Émile will join the Orchestre Métropolitain's Conducting Academy, a prestigious mentorship program that offers emerging conductors unparalleled professional development through access to concerts and rehearsals, training and masterclasses with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and regular interactions with the orchestra's musicians, administrative team, and other emerging Canadian conductors.
An avid advocate for classical music, Emile has always been engaged in his community by giving pre-concert talks during the OSEUM concerts and holding various positions in student associations at all the institution where he studied.
Since discovering his passion for orchestral music and conducting in high school, Emile has initiated and lead many projects and ensembles throughout the years. He co-founded the Orchestre Symphonique Étudiant de l'Université de Montréal in 2018, held the associate conductor position of the University of Toronto Campus Philharmonic Orchestra and organized numerous projects during his years at University of Toronto and the Haute École de Musique de Genève.
