After a 6-month international recruitment process, the Toronto Children’s Chorus (TCC) Board of Directors is thrilled to announce that Zimfira Poloz will be joining the Toronto Children’s Chorus as Artistic Director, starting July 1, 2022.
We are tremendously excited to welcome Zimfira as the third Artistic Director in TCC’s 44-year history. Our team is already working closely with Zimfira and her current organization to ensure a smooth transition for both communities. Our Board is exceptionally grateful to TCC Associate Artistic Director, Matthew Otto, for agreeing to serve as Interim Artistic Director through the end of our current season.
Zimfira is a globally celebrated expert in choral artistry for young voices. She established her musical credentials in Kazakhstan, serving as founder and principal of the nation’s first choir school. On her arrival in Canada, Zimfira found her first musical home working with the Toronto Children’s Chorus under our Founder Jean Ashworth Bartle, CM OOnt. She then worked with St. Michael’s Choir School and became Artistic Director of Young Voices Toronto and Hamilton Children’s Choir (HCC). Under Zimfira’s direction, HCC has transformed into one of the most acclaimed youth choral programs in the world, performing across North America, Europe, and Asia, with a long list of national and international “Grand Prize” awards, including CBC Radio National Choral Competition, World Choral Singing Competition, European Broadcasting Union Choral Competition “Let the People Sing”, and 1st Xinghai Prize International Competition. The TCC has enjoyed several collaborative opportunities with Zimfira and HCC, including a joint appearance at the 2018 Podium Choral Canada Conference.
Zimfira teaches choral conducting for children’s choirs in the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, and her curated Canadian choral collection can be found with Cypress Choral Music: The Zimfira Collection. She has been decorated with numerous awards, including Honoured Representative of Education of Kazakhstan, Hamilton’s VIP Award, and the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting (Ontario Arts Council). She has appeared as an adjudicator and guest conductor around the world, including at the First International Choral Alberto Grau Composition Competition in Venezuela, Europa Cantat, America Cantat, and the World Choir Games.
While her credentials are exceptional, what sets Zimfira truly apart is her ability to create joy, inspiration, and a love of singing within the communities she serves; choristers, parents, and audiences alike. The TCC Board is delighted that Zimfira is returning to her first Canadian musical “home” to lend her vision and joy to building on our legacy and taking our organization forward.
On a final note, I wish to express the deep gratitude of our Board of Directors to the Artistic Director Search Committee spearheaded by TCC alumna, Board Director, and TCI chorister parent Kirstin Grant. Kirstin’s international HR leadership expertise and extensive knowledge of our organization were complemented by a committee of international choral leaders and key partners. Much appreciation to Kirstin and the core committee members, including TCC founder and Conductor Laureate Jean Ashworth Bartle, CM OOnt, U of T Professor Emerita of Choral Studies Hilary Apfelstadt, and U of T Director of Choral Studies and Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting Jamie Hillman. We would not be enjoying the successful conclusion of this recruitment process without the months of hard work, care, and attention that this committee has devoted.
Susan Astington
Chair of the TCC Board of Directors
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