CMFAA User Profile

Dr. Elaine Choi 蔡亦翎 (D.M.A) contributes to Toronto's vibrant choral community as a conductor, educator, adjudicator, and collaborative pianist. Elaine currently holds positions as Director of Music at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, Artistic Director of Pax Christi Chorale and founder & artistic director of Babεl.

As a music educator, Elaine was a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto from 2015-2023 as conductor of the Soprano-Alto Chorus. Currently, Elaine is active as an adjudicator and a clinician for various community events, such as the 2023 Junior Treble Festival, TCDSB music festival, Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, RCCO National Conference, OMFA provincial festival, CAMMAC reading sessions and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Singsation Saturdays etc. Most recently, Elaine is the guest clinician of the 2022 Bangkok International Choral Festival in Thailand.

Elaine is an advocate for Chinese Orchestral and Choral music. She was the conductor of the Toronto Chinese Orchestra from 2010-2017 and currently continues her connection as Guest Conductor and Educational Outreach Representative. In 2018, Elaine founded Babεl, an SATB choral ensemble with a mission to bridge cultures through choral music. The ensemble worked with more than 200 musicians in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau in its inaugural tour in 2019.

Elaine holds a Doctor in Musical Arts and Master in Music Performance (Choral Conducting) degrees from the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt and Dr. Doreen Rao. Elaine is a four-time recipient of the Elmer Iseler Fellowship in Choral Conducting (2008, 2009, 2014, 2015) and a finalist in the Sir Ernest MacMillan Foundation Fellowship Award in Choral Conducting (2012). She's the 2018 recipient of the prestigious William and Waters graduating award.