Dr Elizabeth MacIsaac
Founder,
Artistic Director Emerita
Founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble Laude for twenty-five years from 1999 to 2025, Dr. Elizabeth MacIsaac has directed choirs of all ages in Canada, France and the United States. Her mission with all groups she directs is to build community: both within the ensemble and in outreach to youth and audience alike.
Dr. MacIsaac lived in Europe for many years, studying, performing and teaching music. Upon her return to Canada, MacIsaac joined the faculty of the Victoria Conservatory of Music in British Columbia. Artistic Director of Ensemble Laude from 1999 to 2024, she led the choir to win awards at competitions across Canada.
In 2018, Elizabeth MacIsaac completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Washington in Seattle, graduating summa cum laude. Deeply involved in both the local and international choral communities, she has traveled widely to lead vocal clinics and choral workshops.
MacIsaac taught choral pedagogy at the University of Victoria and traveled to the Choralies Festival in Vaison-la-Romaine to conduct several of her choral arrangements. MacIsaac presented and performed her dissertation transcriptions of motets from the Ursuline Archives of Quebec with noted Canadian soprano Suzie LeBlanc for the Orford Chamber Music Festival, Quebec, and at the Ursuline monastery of origin in Quebec City. MacIsaac’s dissertation research re-discovered lost and historically significant choral Baroque repertoire recognized to be Canada’s first Baroque polyphony. MacIsaac has presented papers, conducted choirs and performed as soloist across the globe (Wales, France, Hungary, England, Ireland, Germany, the USA and Newfoundland).
Among several awards for her choral work and research, MacIsaac has received two distinctions from the BC Choral Federation: most recently the Amy Ferguson Award (2017) for outstanding choral direction fostering excellence in superior vocal practice.
Dr MacIsaac is currently Co-Director of PODIUM 2026, Choral Canada’s national conference for choirs.
