Long Biography:

Liam Ritz (b.1996) is a Canadian composer based in Toronto, Ontario.

As a composer, Ritz has collaborated with ensembles including the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and National Youth Orchestra of Canada, as well as acclaimed performers such as Gemma New, Cameron Crozman, Etsuko Kimura, Joseph Johnson, and more.

His works have been performed across Canada in festivals and workshops such as the Winnipeg New Music Festival (Winnipeg, MB), Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop (Toronto, ON), Scotia Festival of Music (Halifax, NS), University of Toronto: New Music Festival (Toronto, ON), the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s What Next Festival (Hamilton, ON), and the Orford Music Academy (Orford, QC). In addition, Ritz’s works are frequently programmed by musicians in solo and chamber recitals, including performances in the United States, Italy, Finland, Argentina, and Japan.

Ritz has been awarded six SOCAN Foundation Young Composers Awards, as well as a Prix Artistique from the Jeunesses Musicales Canada: Concours Do Mi Si La Do Ré. His artistic work has been supported by organizations such as the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, the RBC Emerging Artists Project, and the SOCAN Foundation. Ritz was also selected for the inaugural Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Composer Fellowship Program (2018/2019), was awarded a 2020 City of Hamilton Arts Award, and was selected for the 2022/23 Winnipeg New Music Festival: Composers Institute.

Liam Ritz received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto, studying composition under Abigail Richardson-Schulte. In addition, he has participated in private composition studies and masterclasses with Peteris Vasks, Kalevi Aho, Robin de Raaf, Ana Sokolovic, Jean Lesage, Haralabos Stafylakis, and Kelly-Marie Murphy, as well having studied conducting under Ivars Taurins, Stephane Potvin, and Gillian McKay.

Short Biography:

Liam Ritz (b.1996) is a Canadian composer based in Toronto, Ontario. As a composer, Ritz has collaborated with musicians and ensembles including the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Gemma New, Etsuko Kimura, Cameron Crozman, and more. Ritz’s works have been performed across Canada, as well as in the United States, Italy, Finland, Argentina, and Japan. Recognized for his work, he has received six SOCAN Foundation Young Composers Awards, a City of Hamilton Arts Award, was selected for the inaugural Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Composer Fellowship Program (2018/2019), as well as the 2022/23 Winnipeg New Music Festival: Composers Institute. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Ritz’s work has been supported by organizations such as the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, the RBC Emerging Artists Project, and the SOCAN Foundation.

[updated: February 2023]

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