Elmer Iseler Singers

06/05/2026

The Elmer Iseler Singers and Artistic Director Lydia Adams welcomed seven outstanding composers to their Composers’ Workshop on Wednesday, June 3rd at the Canadian Music Centre, Toronto, an EIS educational initiative to assist composers in developing compositional skills for choir.

This was an outstanding night of mentorship and the exchange of ideas and solutions as the EIS and the seven creators quickly built a relationship, helping the composers to further develop their scores.

Congratulations to each of the seven composers for your outstanding work! It was really fun and interesting to meet you and to hear and sing your music.

The Elmer Iseler Singers thanks the Canadian Music Centre and Regional Director Joseph Glaser for your outstanding collaboration in making this workshop possible.

The Elmer Iseler Singers also extends their great thanks to the TAKLA Foundation, whose kind sponsorship makes these EIS educational initiatives possible.

Shown are composers Ian Lin, Stella ter Hart, Kye Marshall, Drew Aarssen, EIS Artistic Director Lydia Adams, composers François Lukawecki, Mark Matterson, Soroosh Kahnemuyipour and pianist, Joy Lee.
The second photo shows the composers with the Elmer Iseler Singers, conductor Lydia Adams and pianist Joy Lee in the beautiful surroundings of the Canadian Music Centre, Toronto.

mentions: Stella ter Hart / Composer, Arranger, Director, Adjudicator , Francois Lukawecki Composer

06/03/2026

Thank you to Huntsville Doppler and Thomas Flynn for your article about the Elmer Iseler Singers in advance of our summer concert in Huntsville on July 9th with the Bergmann Piano Duo.

Posted on June 3, 2026June 3, 2026 by Elmer Iseler SingersThe Elmer Iseler Singers: Diverse voices on the Algonquin stage HUNTSVILLE DOPPLER ONLINE May 26, 2026 article by Thomas Flynn View article at Doppler Online Click here to view the PDF (Photo by Karen Reeves) Diverse perspectives have always....

06/02/2026

What a perfect day Sunday was ! We had such a wonderful time at the our annual Strawberries & Champagne at the Lake event at the beautiful Toronto Hunt Club overlooking Lake Ontario. The afternoon was filled with incredible music, great company, delicious refreshments, and a lively silent auction, all in support of the choir’s artistic and educational initiatives. It was a joy to celebrate alongside so many supporters of the arts, and the atmosphere was both elegant and welcoming. We left inspired, grateful, and already looking forward to next year’s event. Thank you so much for joining us!

05/29/2026

Dear Friends!

The Elmer Iseler Singers’ 'Strawberries and Champagne On the Lake' event is nearly here! - THIS SUNDAY - May 31st at 2:00!

You won’t want to miss this fabulous afternoon with GREAT MUSIC - a GORGEOUS SETTING - and FABULOUS FOOD!

Enjoy a glass of your favourite beverage while enjoying the splendour of the Toronto Hunt, high up on the Scarborough Bluffs, meeting with friends in a unique space - and glorious SINGING!

The Singers will sing everything from Bach to Lightfoot and the weather is going to be perfect, so come and join the Elmer Iseler Singers, conductor Lydia Adams, pianist Shawn Grenke, General Manager Jessie Iseler and the entire EIS Team as we celebrate music, life and joy!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Best wishes -

Lydia Adams
Artistic Director
Elmer Iseler Singers

🎟 Tickets available at https://bit.ly/strawberries2026

05/22/2026

One week to go for Strawberries & Champagne at the Lake!!

Sunday, May 31, 2026, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
The Toronto Hunt, 1355 Kingston Road

Join us for the Elmer Iseler Singers' annual Spring fundraising event next weekend on Sunday May 31, 2026 at The Toronto Hunt! Savour strawberries and champagne, participate in our amazing spring silent auction and spend a delightful musical afternoon with Canada’s Elmer Iseler Singers, Lydia Adams, conductor.

🎟 Tickets available at https://bit.ly/strawberries2026

05/15/2026

🎶 Now Accepting Applications! 🎶
Join the Elmer Iseler Singers for the 2026–2027 Concert Season!

✨ We’re holding auditions for professional Canadian singers in all voice parts — potential core and substitute roles available.
🎓 We’re also accepting submissions for the James T. Chestnutt Scholar, a unique opportunity for an emerging choral singer/conductor to work closely with Lydia Adams and the choir for the full season.

📌 Deadline to apply: June 2, 2026
🗓️ Auditions will be scheduled for: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 starting at 4:00 PM
📍 Eglinton St. George’s United Church, Toronto

👉 Learn more and apply here:
🔗 Singer Auditions: https://bit.ly/eisauditions2026
🔗 JTCScholarship Info: https://bit.ly/jtcscholar2026

05/15/2026

🎶 Strawberries & Champagne at the Lake 🍓🥂
Canada’s Elmer Iseler Singers Lydia Adams, C.M., Conductor and Artistic Director invite you to join us on Sunday, May 31, 2026, 2:00 - 5:00 pm at The Toronto Hunt, 1355 Kingston Road.

Welcome to our unique setting on Lake Ontario – a ‘hidden jewel’ between the beaches and the bluffs. Participate in our amazing spring silent auction, enjoy light refreshments and spend a delightful musical afternoon with Canada’s Elmer Iseler Singers, Lydia Adams, conductor.

Celebrate with the Elmer Iseler Singers and Lydia Adams as we honour our 47th season of music making!

🎟 Tickets available at https://bit.ly/strawberries2026 or click link in bio

05/04/2026

The Elmer Iseler Singers and Artistic Director Lydia Adams spent an exciting afternoon on Saturday, May 2nd at the Canadian Music Centre, Toronto, with eight outstanding choral conductors who worked with the Singers and Lydia Adams to build and hone their conducting skills working within a professional setting. This intensive educational initiative of the Elmer Iseler Singers brought together conductors who conduct community and church choirs, youth and children’s choirs, and who are University Undergraduate and Graduate students and public school educators. The colleagues met, discussed and developed conducting skills with the mentorship of the professional singers in the Elmer Iseler Singers and Artistic Director Lydia Adams.

Shown in the first photo are the conductors participating in Saturday’s workshop (L-R):EIS General Manager Jessie Iseler; Lenore Reynolds, Kaden McGuire; Michael Colla; EIS Artistic Director Lydia Adams; Melanie Yirenkyi; Amanda Tulk-O’Reilly; Anna Zaidman; Jonathan Alter and pianist Shawn Grenke. Missing from the photo is conductor Brad Barnham (shown with Artistic Director Lydia Adams in the 3rd photo).

We congratulate each of these wonderful conductors for all the important work you are accomplishing in your own settings within the Canadian choral community. You are each making a positive difference in the lives of many people and your work is uplifting humanity.

The Elmer Iseler Singers thanks the Canadian Music Centre and CMC Ontario Director, Jospeh Glaser, for your kind partnership in helping to develop skills for choral conductors with the Elmer Iseler Singers through Canadian choral music.

The Elmer Iseler Singers are thankful to the TAKLA Foundation for your kind sponsorship of this and other EIS workshops for composers and conductors.

EIS wishes to thank the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts for your continuing support of the EIS artistic and educational work over the entire lifetime of the choir.
Your support is exceptional, and very much appreciated.

05/01/2026

The Elmer Iseler Singers (Lydia Adams, Artistic Director), as guests of Esprit Orchestra and Artistic Director Alex Pauk, performed in a brilliant concert of contemporary music at Koerner Hall , Toronto on Thursday, April 23rd/26, along with our colleagues in Chroma Vocal Ensemble (Mitchell Pady, Artistic Director) and Concreamus Chamber Choir (Kai Leung, Artistic Director).
The combined organizations performed the North American Première of Japanese/British composer Ben Nobuto’s "Hallelujah Sim" in a spectacular night of great orchestral and orchestral/choral music including electronics, that gave the large audience a night of vibrant music, leaving them elated in an extended Standing Ovation after the Nobuto!

Ben Nobuto was present from the U.K. to hear this première, along with Canadian composer Chris Paul Harman, who enjoyed outstanding performances of two of his orchestral works!

It was a night to remember! The Elmer Iseler Singers are thrilled to have been a part of such an exciting and auspicious occasion and we thank Alex Pauk, Alexina Louie and the Esprit Orchestra for your very kind invitation!

Included among the rehearsal photos are photos at the end of the performance, showing Elmer Iseler Singers' General Manger Jessie Iseler, composer Chris Paul Harman, composer Ben Nobuto, Esprit Orchestra Artistic Director Alex Pauk, EIS Artistic Director Lydia Adams, Chroma Vocal Ensemble Artistic Director Mitchell Pady and Concreamus Chamber Choir Artistic Director Kai Leung. Pictured also is a photo with composer Alexina Louie, composer Ben Nobuto and EIS General Manager Jessie Iseler.

04/27/2026

The Elmer Iseler Singers (Lydia Adams, Artistic Director) were thrilled to share the stage with the Esprit Orchestra and Artistic Director Alex Pauk, and our friends in Chroma Vocal Ensemble (Mitchell Pady, Artistic Director) and Concreamus Chamber Choir (Kau Leung, Artistic Director) for a spectacular performance of Hallelujah Sim by Ben Nobuto. Thank you for inviting us, Alex and Esprit! We loved every minute!