Dr. Darren Hamilton is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. In addition to being the founding director of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music Gospel Choir course, he also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Dr. Hamilton was a high school music teacher for 15 years with the Peel District School Board.
Dr. Hamilton has served as a member of the JUNO Award-winning Toronto Mass Choir (TMC) and the JUNO-nominated Youth Outreach Mass Choir. He has also guest conducted performances for TMC, and most recently, the Oakville Choral. Dr. Hamilton is the co-founder and artistic director of the Gospel Music Association of Canada Covenant Award-nominated Waterloo Region Mass Choir. His work with the University of Toronto Faculty of Music Gospel Choir has been featured in recent CBC Radio documentaries that have aired on ‘Ideas with Nahlah Ayed’, ‘The Current with Matt Galloway’, and ‘Storylines’ throughout 2024.
Dr. Hamilton has been a guest lecturer, workshop presenter and panelist for events hosted by MusiCounts, Choral Canada, the Ontario Music Educators’ Association, the International Society of Music Education, Guelph University, the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, York University, and the University of Toronto.
Dr. Darren Hamilton was the recipient of the 2022 JUNO Award for MusiCounts Teacher of the Year, and most recently, he was awarded a 2024 Black Diamond Award for his contributions to the field of music education.