Paul Hillier

Paul Douglas Hillier (born 9 February 1949) 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 debut was in 1974 in London's Purcell Room.

Born in Dorchester, England in 1949, 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.

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