Lydia Adams, Conductor and Artistic Director

Lydia Adams, one of Canada's most distinguished conductors, has been Conductor and Artistic Director of the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto since 1984 and of the Elmer Iseler Singers since 1998.

A native of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Lydia received her musical education at Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, Canada and at the Royal College of Music and the National Opera Studio, London, England. During this time she worked and performed with many leading conductors, composers and arrangers including Sir David Willcocks, Sir Neville Marriner, John Rutter, and Bob Chilcott, among others, and while there was awarded the Sir Adrian Boult conducting award.

Under her direction, the Amadeus Choir has experienced tremendous musical and organizational growth and has become one of the leading choral forces in Canada.

Lydia Adams has conducted many award winning compact discs with her Toronto choirs and has extensively toured and conducted throughout Canada and the United States. The Canadian Music Centre recently stated that "Lydia Adams is the new leading exponent of the Canadian choral composer." She has worked with celebrated Canadian composers such as R. Murray Schafer, Harry Somers, Louis Applebaum, Harry Freedman, Eric Robertson, Bert Carrière, Srul Irving Glick, Christos Hatzis, Ruth Watson Henderson, Eleanor Daley, Peter Togni and many others, premiering and promoting their work through concerts, recordings and broadcasts.

Ms. Adams has also conducted several Canadian Provincial Youth Choirs, the National Youth Choir of Canada and has served as a guest conductor with ACDA Honor Choirs in Michigan and Colorado. Most recently, in the summer of 2012, she was guest conductor at Tasmania’s Festival of Voices.

The recipient of many awards, she has been honoured by the City of Scarborough, the Women's International Network, the Ontario Choral Federation and Mount Allison University. In 2003, Ms. Adams received an Honorary Doctorate from her alma mater, Mount Allison University, for her service to music in Canada. In 2009, Lydia was named as one of 50 Ambassadors for the Canadian Music Centre – honoured for her outstanding contributions to Canadian music. She was one of six finalists for the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2009, 2010, and 2012, and most recently was awarded the 2012 Roy Thomson Hall Award of Recognition.

Dr. Adams possesses extraordinary musicianship and a true passion for the choral art form - her expertise, unique approach and dedication make her a vibrant and inspiring musical force.