Dr. Gillian Mackay

Biography

Gillian MacKay is a Professor of Music at the University of Toronto, where she conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches conducting. With an active professional career as a conductor, adjudicator, and clinician, she has conducted honor ensembles across Canada and the United States and served as the Associate Conductor of the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra. Gillian has adjudicated Canadian band festivals at local, provincial, and national levels, and has conducted honor bands while judging competitions in Singapore, Thailand, and Korea. She enjoys presenting clinics and workshops at provincial and state conferences throughout Canada and the United States, and is known for her work on the relationship between conducting and mime. Currently, she is investigating the application of the Michael Chekhov acting technique and its meaning in conducting. Recognized as a conducting pedagogue, Gillian leads the University of Toronto Wind Conducting Symposium each July and serves as a guest instructor at various symposia across Canada and the United States.

Research Interests