Paul Hillier

Kronos with Paul Hillier in Malmö fall 2005

Paul Douglas Hillier (born 9 February 1949 in Dorchester, England) is a conductor, music director and baritone. He specializes in early music and contemporary art music, especially that by composers Steve Reich and Arvo Pärt. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music, beginning his professional career while a vicar-scholar at St Paul's Cathedral, London. His concert début was in 1974 in London's Purcell Room.

Ensembles

In 1974, Hillier co-founded The Hilliard Ensemble along with fellow vicar-scholar Paul Elliott and counter-tenor David James. Hillier remained the director of the ensemble until 1990, when he founded Theatre of Voices. In addition to early music, this group explores more contemporary repertoire. With the Chicago-based His Majestie's Clerkes Hillier recorded early American repertoire such as the works of William Billings on the 1992 album A Land of Pure Delight.

Hillier later became Director of the Early Music Institute at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and, at the same time, of the Pro Arte Singers, remaining so until he left the Institute in 2003. The Pro Arte Singers joined the Theatre of Voices in a couple of recordings. In 2001, he became the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.

Since 2003, Hillier has been Chief Conductor of Ars Nova (Copenhagen). In 2008, was appointed Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the National Chamber Choir of Ireland.

Hillier has recorded a number of solo albums, some with harpist Andrew Lawrence-King, on the Harmonia Mundi, ECM, EMI, Finlandia and Hyperion labels.

Academic appointments

Starting in 1980, Hillier has held a variety of academic appointments over the years, most recently as Director of Indiana University Bloomington's.

Publications

• The Catch Book (2005), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-343649-3, a collection of catches (comic rounds) edited by Hillier.
• A Josquin Anthology (2005), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-353218-2, a collection of choral pieces by Renaissance composer Josquin des Prez, edited by Ross Duffin and Hillier.
• Writing on Music, 1965–2000 (2002), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-511171-0, a collection of writings by composer Steve Reich, edited by Hillier.
• Arvo Pärt (1997), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-816616-8, The first English-language biography of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
• English Romantic Partsongs (1986), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-343650-7, a collection of songs edited by Hillier.
• 300 Years of English Partsongs: Glees, Rounds, Catches, Partsongs 1600-1900 (1983), Faber & Faber, ISBN 0-571-10045-7, a collection of music edited by Hillier.

See also

• Hilliard Ensemble
• Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

External links

• Paul Hillier official site
• Paul Hillier on Bach-Cantatas
• Paul Hillier on Harmonia Mundi
• Classical Archives interview at the Wayback Machine (archived 12 October 2012)