Celebrated Canadian conductor Boris Brott has died after being struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run in Hamilton Tuesday morning. He was 78. An officer of the Order of Canada and the Order of Quebec, as well as a member of the Order of Ontario, Brott founded the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and the Brott Music Festival, Canada’s largest orchestral music festival. He also served as artistic director and Conductor of the Orchestre classique de Montréal, whose board of directors issued a statement on Twitter following his death, calling him the “beating heart” of the orchestra. Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath tweeted her condolences to Brott’s family, calling him a “visionary Canadian conductor” who shared his love of music with Hamilton and the world. Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger also paid tribute to Brott. “Boris was not only a giant in the classical music world, he was also a giant …