(Credit: The Royal Conservatory of Music)

Internationally acclaimed conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, philanthropists James and Louise Temerty, and musician Chilly Gonzales have been named Honorary Fellows of Canada’s The Royal Conservatory of Music for 2020, according to the statement by the institution.

“The Honorary Fellow is The Royal Conservatory’s highest designation and is awarded to those who have had a profound impact on society through their contributions to the arts,” said in the statement Dr. Peter Simon, Michael and Sonja Koerner President & CEO.

Nézet-Séguin currently holds the position of Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, which he took on in September 2018.  The acclaimed conductor has held the role of Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 2012, and the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal since 2000. Nézet-Séguin has also been appointed Honorary Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra after being their Music Director from 2008 to 2018.

James and Louise Temerty  have made significant contributions to arts and culture in Canada and abroad. Their contributions have been recognized by with the naming of Temerty Theatre and the Temerty Orchestral Program at The Glenn Gould School.

Chilly Gonzales performs and writes songs with Jarvis Cocker and Feistand Drake.  In 2014, he won a Grammy for his collaboration on Daft Punk’s Best Album of the Year. Gonzales has appeared in concert in Koerner Hall on four occasions and was commissioned by The Royal Conservatory to write a piece for its inaugural 21C Music Festival in 2015.

The 2020 honorees will receive their designation on May 26 at The Royal Occasion, The Royal Conservatory’s signature gala event.