Felipe Téllez
Composer
Felipe Téllez is a Colombian-Canadian, BIPOC media composer. His work includes scores for film and the concert music world. Recently he orchestrated on the award winning documentary Black Ice, and did music copying and conducting on Brother (Composed by Todor Kobakov), both of which had gala premieres at TIFF 2022. He recently finished composing additional music on Faith Heist 2. In addition to these recent projects, he was the copyist and additional orchestrator for Mike Post (Law and Order) on his double album, currently in post production. Felipe was responsible for providing sheet music for the 80-piece orchestra which recorded at the Sony stage in LA in October 2022 under the baton of Mike Post. This was the same ensemble that John Williams contracts —they were recording Indiana Jones 5 that same week! He also recently composed for the feature film Tomorrow, pending release. In fall 2022 Felipe has engagements with the Greater Toronto Philharmonic and the Mississauga Symphony, who will be premiering his music.
In the past, he has composed for the Bogotá Philharmonic, the Colombian National Symphony Orchestra, and Canadian Studio Symphony, among others. He has also recorded and conducted his film music with The Budapest Art Orchestra and at Abbey Road Studios in London. Additionally, he is a recipient of multiple Canadian government arts grants from institutions such as the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario and Toronto Arts Councils, as well as awards from the Toronto Arts Foundation.
He also conducted chamber strings and children’s choir for the Canadian duo Whitehorse in their Winter 2018 Christmas album, which was nominated for a Juno in 2019. In 2021 he released his chamber music album -Songs of Longing- for string quartet and piano quintet. As a result of Songs of Longing, Felipe established a working relationship with renowned Canadian violinist Lynn Kuo (Assistant Concertmaster at the Canadian Ballet), which led to the creation of the Canadian Studio Symphony in 2022, and the album Evocations, pending release.
His orchestration and conducting work is featured in multiple films, including Backstabbing for Beginners (Theo James & Ben Kingsley), Sweetness in the Belly (Dakota Fanning), and the documentary My Enemy My Brother, all led by multiple CSA winner, Todor Kobakov. These soundtracks were recorded in collaboration with the Prague Symphony and Smecky Music Studios in the Czech Republic, as well as local Toronto performers. He has also served as orchestrator for composer Brian D’Oliveira’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider live concert performance, in addition to providing assistance to other active media music composers in the form of orchestration, music copying, conducting, and contracting.
Felipe is determined to pass on what he has learned through the years, and is an active mentor with the Toronto Arts Council's Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship Program, and has held teaching posts at the University of Toronto, Sheridan, and Centennial.
