SKU: GI.G-10563
Unsung Pioneer.
Composed by Cheryl Frazes
Hill. Music Education.
GIA Publications #10563.
Published by GIA
Publications
(GI.G-10563).
ISBN
9781622775996.
Cond
uctor, chorus director,
airplane pilot, educator,
activist, mentor, and
advocate Margaret Hillis
blazed a trail upon which
many continue to tread.
The first woman to
regularly conduct a major
symphony orchestra, she
was the founder of the
Chicago Symphony Chorus
and served for
thirty-seven years as its
first director, winning
nine Grammy Awards. She
was also a flight
instructor for the U.S.
Navy during World War II,
an influential member of
the National Endowment
for the Arts, and built a
reputation for her
meticulous score
preparation and
innovative methods of
refining choruses into
superb ensembles. She
earned the respect of the
world’s major
conductors along with the
admiration and affection
of many musicians,
colleagues, and music
lovers. But as compelling
as what Margaret Hillis
achieved is how she
deftly circumvented the
constant barriers in
fields where women were
not welcome. Further
complicating her career
aspirations, Margaret
Hillis was a lesbian
woman in an era when such
an identity would have
certainly ended her
career. In Margaret
Hillis: Unsung Pioneer,
author Cheryl Frazes
Hill—a longtime
colleague and
associate—examines
how Hillis was able to
overcome the many
challenges she faced,
navigating a career in
ways relatable not only
to musicians but also to
women in all professions.
Margaret Hillis’s
story is one of
resilience,
determination, and
passion for music. Her
journey is an
inspiration, a portrait
of what it takes to
succeed at the highest
level in any field. Dr.
Cheryl Frazes Hill is the
Conductor of the
Milwaukee Symphony Chorus
and the Associate
Conductor of the Chicago
Symphony Chorus (CSC).
Beginning as a member of
the CSC in 1976, Margaret
Hillis appointed Frazes
Hill to the CSC
conducting staff in 1987.
Frazes Hill has served as
professor of music at
Roosevelt
University’s
Chicago College of
Performing Arts since
2002. A frequent guest
conductor, Frazes Hill is
a published writer for
national education and
choral journals on topics
of her research in music
education and choral
conducting. She is
married to Dr. Gary Hill,
and they have two
children, Carlyn and
Mitchell. Â We are
living in an age when
strong women are
accomplishing amazing
things—and this is
the story of a woman who
succeeded in the male
world of orchestral
conducting and
established the
award-winning Chicago
Symphony Chorus. Her life
consisted of challenges
continually met and
conquered, and her
relentless drive for
excellence in her
profession. Cheryl Frazes
Hill gives us a carefully
researched, balanced, and
well-written account of
her eventful life and
achievements.
—Alice Parker Â
 Renowned conductor,
composer, and longtime
friend of Margaret Hillis
Cheryl Frazes Hill was in
a unique position to
observe the career of
Margaret Hillis because
she was close to her on a
personal and professional
level. What is
particularly gratifying
about this biography is
that it is clearly the
work of someone who
admires Margaret
Hillis’s
accomplishments, but at
the same time Frazes Hill
has retained a balanced
objectivity about her
subject. I came away from
reading this with a
greatly increased
knowledge about Margaret
Hillis, along with a deep
appreciation for what she
accomplished as a true
pioneer. —Henry
Fogel   Former
President, Chicago
Symphony Orchestra,
League of American
Orchestras   Dean
Emeritus, Chicago College
of Performing Arts,
Roosevelt University.