The afternoon of November 17 will find Prairie Sons at WAG-Quamajuq, in concert with their eclectic and riveting program inspired by the Canadian West.
Cellist David Liam Roberts and pianist Godwin Friesen met at the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School of Music, and recognized a kindred spirit in each other. Both hail from the prairies, began performing alongside family members, and have been named to CBC’s list of Hot 30 Classical Musicians Under 30.
Their program includes sonatas by Poulenc and Rachmaninoff, a composition by Friesen, and a unique work quoting the music of Joni Mitchell. Tickets now on sale at A Love Letter to the Prairies | Wmcwpg.
DAVID LIAM ROBERTS: Besides being named to CBC’s "30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30" in 2019, David Liam Roberts has been awarded both the 1st Prize and Grand Award at the 2018 National Music Festival of Canada, the 2021 Michael Measures Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts, and 1st Prize at the 2022 biennial WMC McLellan Competition for Solo Performance with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. His Rilian Trio recently won the 1st Prize, Audience Prize and Commission Prize at the 12th Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition in Norway.
David Liam holds a Bachelors and Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he studied with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Andres Díaz. He has studied with many of the foremost classical music pedagogues, including Steven Isserlis, Christian Tetzlaff, Donald Weilerstein and Joel Krosnick, having attended festivals such as the Perlman Music Program, Morningside Music Bridge, and International Music Seminar at Prussia Cove. He is presently in the Masters program at the Basel Academy of Music in Switzerland, studying with the acclaimed cellist Danjulo Ishizaka.
The 2024-25 season includes two extensive tours of the Canadian Prairies with pianist Godwin Friesen, appearances at the Copenhagen Summer Festival (Denmark) and the Prince Edward County Festival (Ontario), Trondheim Kammermusikkfestival (Norway), as well as debuts in Calgary (Calgary Pro Musica) and Oslo with the Rilian Trio.
David Liam plays a cello crafted in Milan by Carlo Antonio Monzino VI in 1928 and a bow by W.E. Hill&Sons, both generously loaned to him by CANIMEX, inc.
GODWIN FRIESEN Godwin Friesen plays music by other people and music he creates himself. His own works for solo piano and ensemble are an important part of his recent and upcoming performances in North America and Europe.
Godwin first discovered his love for the stage by singing and playing in the Friesen Family Band. He later studied with John O’Conor at The Glenn Gould School and with Henry Kramer and Jean Saulnier at l’Université de Montréal. He is the winner of Concours OCM 2022, performing Prokofiev 3 with l'Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. In this, as well as the 2023 Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition with the Rilian Trio, he won best interpretation of the imposed contemporary piece.
