Photo: Teresa Tam Photography.
Dr. Jamie Hillman is a Canadian and American musician, active as a conductor, singer, pianist, music educator, and composer. He holds the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting at the University of Toronto where he is also Director of Choral Studies and an Associate Professor. Prior to his appointment at UofT, Hillman served on the faculties of Gordon College, Longy School of Music of Bard College, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Kodály Music Institute. As a Boston University Prison Arts Scholar and faculty member of BU's Metropolitan College/Prison Education Program, Hillman co-initiated an innovative vocal music program in the Massachusetts prison system.
As a tenor soloist, Hillman has recently performed major choral-orchestral works by Beethoven, R. Nathaniel Dett, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Ramirez, Saint-Saëns, Schubert, and Schütz with choruses and orchestras in the United States, Canada, and Southeast Asia. As a professional choral singer, he has recorded and toured with Canadian Chamber Choir, Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and Vox Futura.
As a pianist, Dr. Hillman has shared the stage with numerous choirs including Boston Children’s Chorus and Rhode Island Children’s Chorus, and professional singers including Desiree Hassler and Kevin McMillan. His choral compositions have been performed in Asia, Europe, and North America by ensembles including Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto, Boston Children's Chorus, Calgary Girls Choir, Cantabile Choirs of Kingston, Oakville Choir for Children & Youth, Worcester Children's Chorus, and numerous other school, church, and community choirs. His Christmas carol, Who Would Have Thought, is published by Cypress Choral Music.
Dr. Hillman is an examiner for Conservatory Canada and has adjudicated, guest conducted, and presented throughout the United States and Canada, and in France, India, and Indonesia. Most recently, he has led All-State or honor choirs in Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Ontario, Canada. He has adjudicated for Bandung International Choir Competition, Carowinds Festival of Music, Fantastic Festivals, Festivals of Music, Great East Festivals, Manitoba ChoralFest, Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association, Massachusetts Music Educators Association, Music in the Parks, National Endowment for the Arts, New England Music Festival Association, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Music Festivals Association Provincials, Providence College High School Choral Festival, Rhythms International, Tomohon International Choir Competition, WorldStrides, World Festival & Clinic, Rhode Island ACDA, and Kiwanis Music Festival Windsor-Essex County. Recent conference presentations include Association for Moral Education, College Music Society, New Jersey Music Educators Association, North Carolina Music Educators Association, and Utah Music Educators Association.
Hillman's upcoming engagements include speaking at the World Symposium on Choral Music in Auckland, New Zealand; guest conducting the ACSC High School Honor Choir in Taichung, Taiwan, All-State Choirs in New Hampshire, New Jersey and Utah, honor choirs in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Virginia, and a Manhattan Concerts Productions Festival Choir at Carnegie Hall; giving conducting masterclasses at Christ's College Taipei; and returning as a member of the jury of the Bali International Choir Festival in Indonesia. His co-editorial work includes numerous editions of Arabic, Asian, Latin American, and Western choral pieces published by Earthsongs and Hinshaw Music. Choral pedagogical curriculum that he has co-written with composer Dan Forrest is published by Beckenhorst Press.
Hillman earned an associate diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) and degrees from Western University (London, Canada), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Boston University. Dr. Hillman is the 2012 laureate of the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting from the Ontario Arts Council.
Hillman sits on the board of directors of Boston's Back Bay Chorale, Four Strings Academy, Canadian Chamber Choir, and Massachusetts ACDA (R & R Chair for Music in Worship), and The Choral Commons. He is also an ACDA International Activities Mentor. In February 2020, he was elected to the board of the Greater Boston Choral Consortium.
As a tenor soloist, Hillman has recently performed major choral-orchestral works by Beethoven, R. Nathaniel Dett, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Ramirez, Saint-Saëns, Schubert, and Schütz with choruses and orchestras in the United States, Canada, and Southeast Asia. As a professional choral singer, he has recorded and toured with Canadian Chamber Choir, Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and Vox Futura.
As a pianist, Dr. Hillman has shared the stage with numerous choirs including Boston Children’s Chorus and Rhode Island Children’s Chorus, and professional singers including Desiree Hassler and Kevin McMillan. His choral compositions have been performed in Asia, Europe, and North America by ensembles including Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto, Boston Children's Chorus, Calgary Girls Choir, Cantabile Choirs of Kingston, Oakville Choir for Children & Youth, Worcester Children's Chorus, and numerous other school, church, and community choirs. His Christmas carol, Who Would Have Thought, is published by Cypress Choral Music.
Dr. Hillman is an examiner for Conservatory Canada and has adjudicated, guest conducted, and presented throughout the United States and Canada, and in France, India, and Indonesia. Most recently, he has led All-State or honor choirs in Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Ontario, Canada. He has adjudicated for Bandung International Choir Competition, Carowinds Festival of Music, Fantastic Festivals, Festivals of Music, Great East Festivals, Manitoba ChoralFest, Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association, Massachusetts Music Educators Association, Music in the Parks, National Endowment for the Arts, New England Music Festival Association, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Music Festivals Association Provincials, Providence College High School Choral Festival, Rhythms International, Tomohon International Choir Competition, WorldStrides, World Festival & Clinic, Rhode Island ACDA, and Kiwanis Music Festival Windsor-Essex County. Recent conference presentations include Association for Moral Education, College Music Society, New Jersey Music Educators Association, North Carolina Music Educators Association, and Utah Music Educators Association.
Hillman's upcoming engagements include speaking at the World Symposium on Choral Music in Auckland, New Zealand; guest conducting the ACSC High School Honor Choir in Taichung, Taiwan, All-State Choirs in New Hampshire, New Jersey and Utah, honor choirs in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Virginia, and a Manhattan Concerts Productions Festival Choir at Carnegie Hall; giving conducting masterclasses at Christ's College Taipei; and returning as a member of the jury of the Bali International Choir Festival in Indonesia. His co-editorial work includes numerous editions of Arabic, Asian, Latin American, and Western choral pieces published by Earthsongs and Hinshaw Music. Choral pedagogical curriculum that he has co-written with composer Dan Forrest is published by Beckenhorst Press.
Hillman earned an associate diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) and degrees from Western University (London, Canada), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Boston University. Dr. Hillman is the 2012 laureate of the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting from the Ontario Arts Council.
Hillman sits on the board of directors of Boston's Back Bay Chorale, Four Strings Academy, Canadian Chamber Choir, and Massachusetts ACDA (R & R Chair for Music in Worship), and The Choral Commons. He is also an ACDA International Activities Mentor. In February 2020, he was elected to the board of the Greater Boston Choral Consortium.
