Winner of the International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition 2024 (2^nd Prize & Orchestra Prize), Félix Benati is a French conductor, deeply invested in the symphonic repertoire of the 20th & 21st century and in Opera. Currently assistant conductor at the Orchestre National de Lille (France) and the Orchestre Français des Jeunes, he worked with Alexandre Bloch, Michael Schonwandt and Kristiina Poska on such various repertoire as Francis Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine, Hector Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique, Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème or Bela Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle. Always searching to combine vocal & instrumental music, Felix likes to conceive his concert programs in that way, from Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs to Richard Strauss’ Salome. Thus, Felix made his debuts with Orchestre National de Lille in June 2024 and was guest conductor at Ensemble Multilatérale, Orchestre Elektra and Les Métaboles during 23/24 season. He will be guest conductor at the Vaasa City Orchestra and the Jyväskylä Sinfonia in Finland for the upcoming season.

In France, Felix assisted Mikko Franck with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France through Richard Strauss lyrical repertoire, Benjamin Levy with the Orchestre National de Cannes and Lucie Leguay in Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. He worked with Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Ensemble InterContemporain, Orchestre de Picardie, Orchestre Régional de Normandie and great conductors like Mikko Franck, Arie van Beek, Pascal Rophé and Bertrand de Billy. He had the opportunity to accompany great soloists in concerto : Elisabeth Leonskaja, Asmik Grigorian, Alexandre Tharaud, Véronique Gens, Pene Pati etc.

Félix was semi-finalist at the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition 2023 and the International Ferenc Fricsay Conducting Competition 2023. He took part in the first Conducting Workshop of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester with Michael Sanderling in November 2022 and was finalist of the 2nd International Opera Conducting Competition of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège in August 2022. He graduated from the Conservatoire National de Paris in Alain Altinoglu’s conducting class,

His love for voice has also led him to choir and vocal companies: he co-founded vocal Les Temps Dérobés in 2017, a young professional vocal ensemble crossing the a cappella repertoires of today and yesterdays, which he conducted for 5 years ; he also worked as musical director, pianist, répétiteur and singer with the Ensemble Poursuite from 2019 to 2022. He was guest conductor with Les Métaboles, Aedes, Sequenza 9.3 and assistant conductor of Mikrokosmos Choir from 2017 to 2021. Felix is also invested in transmission, and created/conducted may educative projects with the various ensembles he worked with. In 2017, he was guest conductor of the Kolkata Youth Orchestra. He is a member of the Amis d’Olivier Greif Association.