Zimfira Poloz

Biography

Zimfira Poloz is an award-winning conductor, educator, and internationally recognized adjudicator and clinician. Her distinguished career reflects a lifelong dedication to choral excellence, artistic development, and music education on a global scale.

Her numerous accolades include the Honoured Representative of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the VIP Award from the City of Hamilton, and the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting from the Ontario Arts Council.

Zimfira serves as Professor of Vocal Pedagogy for Choirs at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music and is the Artistic Director of the world-renowned Toronto Children’s Chorus. She also plays an active role in the international choral community as a Canadian Representative on the Interkultur World Choir Council, a Board Member of the World Alliance of Children’s Choirs, and a curator/editor for Cypress Choral Music.

For two decades, Zimfira served as the Artistic Director of the award-winning Hamilton Children’s Choir (HCC). Simultaneously, she led Young Voices Toronto for 15 years, enhancing the artistic vision of both ensembles and creating new opportunities for young singers to shine on national and international stages. Zimfira’s journey began in Kazakhstan, where she founded and directed the nation’s first choir school, Choir School No. 1, Almaty, in 1983. Her children’s choir, Koktem, toured internationally, with performances in Kazakhstan, Russia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Zimfira has adjudicated, conducted, and led workshops at many of the world’s most prominent choral festivals and competitions, including: Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival (Philippines); Voices Together International Youth Festival at Carnegie Hall (USA); Choralies International Choral Festival (France); World Choir Games in New Zealand, Austria, China, Germany, USA, Latvia, Russia, Belgium, and South Korea; National Choral Competitions in Japan and Canada; International Alberto Grau Composition Competition (Venezuela); Children’s Choir of Philharmonic Paris Orchestra (France); Choralies Vaison la Roamine (France); International Symposia and Workshops hosted by IFCM, ACDA, Europa Cantat, America Cantat, Songbridge and others. Zimfira was invited to lead workshops and conducting masterclasses at Örebro University in Sweden and Ionian University in Greece.

In addition, she has chaired panels, led masterclasses, and presented at conferences worldwide, including in the USA, Canada, Colombia, Italy, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Norway, and Sweden.

Driven by a mission to elevate choral singing into an art form that transcends boundaries, Zimfira remains committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians. With unwavering dedication to choral music education, she strives to foster artistic excellence, vocal integrity, and a sense of empowerment in singers of all ages, leaving a lasting impact on the international choral community.