Amy Hillis

Amy Hillis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Music at York University's School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD). She joined York in July 2020 and previously held the Helen Carswell Chair in Community-Engaged Research in the Arts. Her work bridges performance, education, and community engagement, emphasizing music’s role in fostering cultural identity.

Hillis holds a BMus and DMus from McGill University and an MMus from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She specializes in violin performance, having premiered works by Canadian composers such as Matt Brubeck and Fjóla Evans. Her debut album Roots explores connections between Canadian compositions and classical repertoire, toured nationally with the meagan&amy duo, and led the Horizon String Quartet in educational outreach across Western Canada.

Her research focuses on community music’s transformative potential, particularly in strengthening identity through geographical, racial, and cultural lenses. She advocates for marginalized voices by promoting underrepresented composers in classical music. As an artist-in-residence in Paris, she studied French and Québécois musical traditions, further enriching her interdisciplinary approach.

Hillis teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Community Music, music history, and appreciation. Her awards include the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, and she leads initiatives linking York with Toronto’s Jane & Finch Community Music Schools.