Jamie Hillman, BMus’05
Recipient of the 2024 Don Wright Faculty of Music Alumni Wall of Fame
Jamie Hillman is an award-winning conductor and educator with an aptitude for artistry and leadership on the stage, classroom and studio. His commitment to performing, conducting and teaching is evident through a mile-long list of accomplishments that illustrate an esteemed career as a conductor, professor and adjudicator. Jamie is a worthy inductee to the Don Wright Faculty of Music Wall of Fame.
Jamie was appointed to the University of Toronto in 2021 as the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting, director of choral studies and an associate professor. He conducts the University of Toronto MacMillan Singers and leads the master's and doctoral programs in choral conducting. At the conclusion of the 2023-24 academic year, Jamie received the Faculty of Music's Teaching Award which recognizes excellence, commitment and innovation in teaching.
During his doctoral studies in Boston, Massachusetts, Jamie co-initiated a vocal music program in the Massachusetts prison system. His ability to build bridges of understanding and collaboration and his calm approach deeply resonated with program participants. He is creating a similar program at a women’s prison in Kitchener, Ontario.
Dr. Hillman has guest conducted, performed, adjudicated and presented throughout Canada, the United States, Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, Portugal and Taiwan. He has led festival, honour and All-State choirs throughout Canada, the US, and in Taiwan. Most recently he conducted two national festival choruses at Carnegie Hall with Manhattan Concert Productions and National Concerts. He will return to Carnegie Hall in 2025.
Jamie’s schedule of engagements includes conducting the Alberta Youth Choir, Nova Scotia Youth and honour choirs in Illinois, Louisiana and Virginia; serving on the juries of the 14th World Choir Festival on Musical and Competition (Thessaloniki, Greece) and the Bali International Choir Competition (Indonesia); and residencies at several Canadian and international universities.
Jamie is the curator and editor of The Jamie Hillman Choral Series published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing. He also edits Beckenhorst Press’ Concert Series and writes choral pedagogical curriculum with composer Dan Forrest. Jamie has published articles on choral literature and pedagogy in several academic journals. He is the 2012 laureate of the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting from the Ontario Arts Council.
Jamie’s fondest memories at Western were classes, lessons and rehearsals with Western’s outstanding faculty: Marianna Chibotar-Rutkevich, Kevin McMillan, Victoria Meredith, Jennifer Moir, Gerald Neufeld, Kari Veblen, Paul Woodford and Tina Yanchus. Jamie is grateful for their mentorship, example and patience.
