The National Youth Orchestra of Canada has announced that Liam Ritz is the 2026 recipient of the Composer Mentorship Program with the SOCAN Foundation.
Ritz is a Toronto-based composer whose career is set to take off. He’s currently serving as RBC Affiliate Composer of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra through the end of the 2026/27 season. With NYO Canada, he’ll be writing a brand new commissioned work that the orchestra will premiere this summer.
LV caught up with Ritz to talk about the opportunity.
Liam Ritz’s Informal Worship for string quartet (2024)
Liam Ritz grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, and is currently based in Toronto. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto, studying under Abigail Richardson-Schulte. He has also participated in private composition studies and masterclasses with Tania León, Dai Fujikura, Pēteris Vasks, Kalevi Aho, Robin de Raaff, Ana Sokolović, Jean Lesage, Derek Bermel, Haralabos (Harry) Stafylakis, and Kelly-Marie Murphy.
Liam was selected for the inaugural Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Composer Fellowship Program (2018/2019), and the 2026 Graham Sommer Competition for Young Composers, and has participated in programs such as the Winnipeg New Music Festival’s Composers Institute (2022/23) and the Bowdoin International Music Festival’s Composition Program (2024).
His talent has been recognized with multiple awards, including eight SOCAN Foundation Young Composers Awards, a Prix Artistique from Jeunesses Musicales Canada: Concours Do Mi Si La Do Ré, and a 2020 City of Hamilton Arts Award.
Liam has collaborated with several notable ensembles in Canada, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Talea Ensemble, and previously, also the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He has worked with artists such as Gustavo Gimeno, Gemma New, Hannu Lintu, Cameron Crozman, and Etsuko Kimura, among others.
His music draws from diverse influences that include jazz and pop music, visual arts, literature, dance, and theatre. Ritz’s music has been programmed in solo and chamber recitals, with performance in North America, Italy, Finland, Argentina, and Japan.
It has been featured at prominent festivals across North America, including the Bowdoin International Music Festival (Brunswick, Maine), Winnipeg New Music Festival (Winnipeg, MB), National Youth Orchestra of Canada’s Emerging Composer Mentorship Program (Kingston, ON), Orford Music Academy (Orford, QC), Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s What Next Festival (Hamilton, ON), University of Toronto’s New Music Festival (Toronto, ON), Scotia Festival of Music (Halifax, NS), and the Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop (Toronto, ON).
“I started as a violinist around the age of seven,” Ritz recalls.
However, even early on, his mother bought him a pad of manuscript paper, and taught him how to notate music. Writing his own compositions was not far behind.
“It was always sort of concurrent with my studies,” he says. Around the age of 14, he shifted his main focus from performance to composition. “It was always something in the background.” His teachers encouraged his efforts.
“It was such an eye opening experience. You can just write something down, and people will play it!” he laughs.
“For me, as a violinist, I had a bit of an injury early in high school,” he explains. “I had to pull back on my playing.”
A helpful teacher found a way for him to continue with his music studies. Liam, who grew up in Hamilton, began to take lessons from composer Abigail Richardson-Schulte, located nearby in Dundas.
“That was a great connection,” he says. “She’s such an incredible teacher, and really a wonderful advocate with me.” With her help, he worked with the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and found other opportunities and support.
After private studies with Richardson-Schulte through high school, he went on to continue at the University of Toronto, where he also studied with her.
Working with youth orchestras requires a bit of a different approach than with professional ensembles.
“It’s sort of a balance,” Ritz says. It’s one he’s prepared for. “I’ve worked with youth orchestras before.”
As he points out, the high level of performance required to be accepted into the NYOC makes them very similar to working with a professional orchestra in many ways. The NYOC also has a good amount of rehearsal time available, and support at every level. The way the organization is structured is something he has to take into account.
“You have to consider the practical,” he explains. “This is lovely, because I don’t really have to limit things like that.”
Outside of the basics, there are other issues to consider.
“For some of these players, they may not have worked with a living composer before.” It may mean having to introduce 21st century techniques, sounds, and performance practices, as he explains.
He’s already got a piece for them in progress.
“I’m working on their piece as we speak. It’s top of mind right now,” Ritz says. “It’s still in the middle part of the process.” He mentions that he’ll be working on it for about another month and a half. The orchestra opens with a chamber festival in June, and then orchestral rehearsals begin in July. His deadline is in May.
He tends to approach each new piece as its own project. “I usually approach each piece a little differently, depending on what it is,” Liam explains. “It’s helpful with each piece to set yourself a certain number of parameters that narrow your focus a little bit,” he adds. “The sooner I can set the groundwork, and the framework that I’m working with, the better.”
For the NYOC, he’s thinking about pulse as a sort of guiding principle. “I’m thinking about using collective pulse, and collective rhythm,” he says.
“My background is also in visual arts, and I approach it in a similar way.” In a painting, you block out the canvas first in broad strokes, then hone in on detail gradually. “Learning to do the big shapes first is very helpful to me,” he says.
“I spend the most amount of time in the editing and reworking,” he says. “The work of an artist or writer is editing. And that’s the hard work,” he explains. “If your deadline is in May, you should hopefully have that full draft by February or March.” That leaves two months or so to stare at your work and consider it from various angles.
“I find editing the most enjoyable part.”
Ritz is looking forward to working with NYOC Music Director Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser.
“I’ve already met with their Music Director,” he says. He’s run into him previously through his work as the RBC Affiliate Composer of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. “But it’s our first time working together as composer and conductor,” he notes.
The NYOC holds their summer residency and rehearsal intensives at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. “I’ll be joining them I believe for at least some of their rehearsals.,” he says. Ritz will attend at least some of the NYOC’s performances of his new work.
“I’ve long admired them as an organization and orchestra,” he says. During his time at university, he saw many of the fellow students spend their summers with the NYOC.
“I’ve had a couple of opportunities to work with them in the past.” That includes an opportunity via a SOCAN Foundation reading session, which saw the orchestra give a reading of one of his works back in 2022. The NYOC also premiered one of his works of chamber music.
“What a wonderful opportunity to work with this organization,” he says. He’s looking forward to working with their artistic and administrative team, along with the orchestra itself.
He admires Bartholomew-Poyser’s work and ability to connect classical music with audiences at all levels. “He does it excellently with any type of performer and audience,” Liam adds.
“That’s important for all of us,” Ritz says. “We need more people like Daniel who see how truly relevant and important this art form still is.”
Stay tuned for details of the National Youth Orchestra’s 2026 Canadiana Tour, featuring the world premiere of Liam Ritz’ piece on July 18 in Toronto.
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