Jamie Hillman

Biography

Jamie Hillman is a Canadian and American musician, active as a conductor, singer, pianist, music educator, and composer-arranger. He holds the endowed Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting at the University of Toronto where he is 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. Professor Hillman is also cross listed as an adjunct faculty member in Emmanuel College's Master of Sacred Music program. In 2024, Dr. Hillman received the Faculty of Music's Teaching Award which recognizes excellence, commitment, and innovation in teaching.

Dr. Hillman has served on the faculties of Boston University Metropolitan College/Prison Education Program, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Kodály Music Institute, Longy School of Music of Bard College, and Toronto Summer Music. As a Boston University Prison Arts Scholar, Hillman co-initiated an innovative vocal music program in the Massachusetts prison system.

​Dr. Hillman is an examiner for Conservatory Canada and has adjudicated, guest conducted, performed, and presented throughout the United States and Canada, and in Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, Portugal, and Taiwan. He has led All-State, festival, or honor choirs in Alberta, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Saskatchewan, Taiwan, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia. Most recently he conducted two national festival choruses at Carnegie Hall with National Concerts and Manhattan Concert Productions. In 2025, he returns to Carnegie Hall, and in 2026, he conducts at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver. Hillman has conducted world premieres by Shireen Abu Khader, Matthew Emery, Sarah Quartel, and Marie-Claire Saindon, among others.

Dr. Hillman has given lectures, masterclasses, and workshops and spoken on panels at a number of universities including Acadia University, Anna Maria College, Dalhousie University, Harvard University, Hong Kong Baptist University, Loyola Marymount University, Northwestern Polytechnic, Roberts Wesleyan University, San José State University, Shu-Te University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Regina, and Western University.

As a professional choral singer, Jamie Hillman has sung with Beckenhorst Singers, Canadian Chamber Choir, Elmer Iseler Singers, Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Soundstreams Choir 21, Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, and Vox Futura.

Dr. Hillman's schedule of upcoming engagements includes conducting honor choirs and festival choirs in Manitoba, New York, North Dakota, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; serving on the international juries of the 14th World Choir Festival on Musical and Competition (Greece), Thailand International Choral Festival (Bangkok), and Bali International Choir Competition (Indonesia); and residencies at several Canadian and international universities. He is the curator and editor of The Jamie Hillman Choral Series published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Choral pedagogical curriculum that he has co-written with composer Dan Forrest is published for Beckenhorst Press. He is also co-editor of Beckenhorst Press' Concert Series. Hillman has written articles on choral literature and choral pedagogy that have been published in International Choral Bulletin, Massachusetts Music Educators Journal, and Mass Sings.

Hillman earned an associate diploma (ARCT) from the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) and a Bachelor of Music from Western University (London, Canada). In 2024, he was inducted to Western's Don Wright Faculty of Music's Alumni Wall of Fame. He completed his his Master of Music at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Doctor of Musical Arts at Boston University, where he studied with Ann Howard Jones. He is the 2012 laureate of the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting.