Dr. Jamie Hillman is a Canadian and American musician, active as a conductor, singer, pianist, music educator, and composer. He holds the endowed Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting at the University of Toronto where he is also Director of Choral Studies and an Associate Professor. He conducts the U of T MacMillan Singers and leads the master’s and doctoral degree programs in Choral Conducting. Prior to his appointment at UofT, Hillman served on the faculties of Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Kodály Music Institute, and Longy School of Music of Bard College. 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 works by Beethoven, R. Nathaniel Dett, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Ariel Ramírez, 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.  

Dr. Hillman is an examiner for Conservatory Canada and has adjudicated, guest conducted, performed, 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 Allerton Vocal Chamber Festival, Bandung International Choir Competition, Carowinds Festival of Music, Choral Canada, Fantastic Festivals, Festivals of Music, Great East Festivals, Kiwanis Music Festival of Windsor-Essex County, 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, Rhode Island ACDA, Rhythms International, Tomohon International Choir Competition, and WorldStrides. 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 Choral Expo in Lisbon, Portugal; 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 and Vermont, 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. He is the curator and editor of The Jamie Hillman Choral Series published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing. 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 for Beckenhorst Press.

Hillman earned an associate diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music and degrees from Western University, 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.