As an ambassador of the Canadian Music Centre and hailed by the CMC as “the new leading exponent of the Canadian choral composer”, Lydia Adams has dedicated her career to the growth of Canadian choral music. She is Artistic Director the Elmer Iseler Singers, national leaders in commissioning, premièring, performing and recording Canadian choral works. In the fall of 2016, Lydia was appointed director of the Western University Singers. Piano accompanist, choral conductor, arranger, b Glace Bay, NS, 18 May 1953; B MUS (Mount Allison) 1975, B ED (Mount Allison) 1976, ARCM vocal performance 1979, hon D MUS (Mount Allison) 2003.

Lydia Adams studied voice and piano at New Brunswick's Mount Allison University, and after graduation moved to London, England, where she attended the Royal College of Music. While in England she was répétiteur for the National Opera Studio, and accompanist for the Bach Choir of London under Sir David Willcocks. Adams won the Sir Adrian Boult Scholarship in conducting in 1980.

Lydia Adams returned to Canada in 1981 and became piano accompanist for the Elmer Iseler Singers that year. In 1984, she also became conductor of the Amadeus Choir of Scarborough. She accompanied the Toronto Children's Chorus and the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus on recordings in 1985 and 1989 respectively, and was also accompanist and assistant conductor of the Ontario Youth Choir 1990-1. She was interim conductor of the Elmer Iseler Singers during Iseler's illness in 1997; the following year she became that choir's conductor and music director.

Lydia Adams has collaborated with many Canadian composers such as Louis Applebaum, Berthold Carrière, Harry Freedman, SrulIrving Glick, Christos Hatzis, R.Murray Schafer, Harry Somers and Ruth Watson Henderson. She is also an arranger of choral music, notably of songs by fellow Nova Scotians Leon Dubinsky and Allister MacGillivray, and has composed other choral works, eg, "Mi'kmaq Honour Song." She edits the Amadeus Choir Choral Series published by Gordon V. Thompson.

Lydia Adams was honoured by the City of Scarborough (1996), the Women's International Network (1997), the Ontario Choral Federation (1996), and Mount Allison University (distinguished alumni award, 2000). In recognition of her contributions to Canadian music, Adams was named a Canadian Music Centre ambassador in 2009.