The finalists of the fourth edition of the Graham Sommer Competition!
The聽Schulich School of Music of 成人VR视频 is聽pleased to announce five finalists for the聽fourth聽edition of the聽Graham Sommer Competition for Young Composers.听Established in 2017, this national competition recognizes works for chamber music formations聽with聽piano that show significant聽potential to engage audiences and become聽standard repertoire.听Selected聽from聽over 60聽Canadian applicants聽under the age of 35, this year鈥檚 finalists will compose聽new works for聽sextet聽(C聽flute,聽B-flat聽clarinet, violin, cello,聽piano, and vibraphone)聽to be聽premiered聽before a live jury in聽September 2026. The finalists are:聽
Lily Koslow聽is a Montr茅al-based composer,聽pianist, and vocalist whose music has been聽presented at festivals including Composers Conference,聽soundSCAPE, Festival聽Temporel,聽Soundwich, and the Domaine Forget International Festival.听They聽have聽undertaken residencies with institutions such as the Yale Center for Collaborative Arts and Media, the Akademie der K眉nste, and Le Vivier, and has collaborated with leading contemporary ensembles including Talea Ensemble, International Contemporary Ensemble, and Attacca Quartet.听
Ashton Latimer聽is a Canadian composer from Vancouver whose orchestral work聽Purification聽received the SOCAN Young Composer Award and was selected for the 2024 Hugh Davidson Composer Readings with the Victoria Symphony. In 2025, he completed聽Overflow聽for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as聽part of the Jean Coulthard Readings and mentorship聽program, and his works have been聽performed by ensembles and musicians across Canada and the United States. He is currently聽pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Composition at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.听
Fiona Marchetto聽is a multi-genre composer and聽performer whose work has been commissioned by the American Modern Ensemble and聽premiered at the 2024 Mostly Modern Festival. She has聽performed as concertmaster at the Trentino Music Festival, Opera 成人VR视频, and the National Academy Orchestra, collaborated with indie bands opening for Death Cab for Cutie, and聽placed third in the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto鈥檚 Emerging Canadian Composer Competition.听
Liam Ritz聽is a Toronto-based Canadian composer and the current RBC Affiliate Composer of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. His music has been聽performed by ensembles including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton聽Philharmonic Orchestra, and Talea Ensemble, and has been聽presented at major festivals across North America. Recognized as one of CBC鈥檚聽30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30, he is a seven-time SOCAN Foundation Young Composers Award recipient and has received support from major Canadian arts organizations.听
Chinese Canadian聽composer聽搁辞测诲辞苍听罢蝉别鈥檚聽music has been聽performed by ensembles including the聽Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra, and Chor Leoni. Recent highlights include his concerto聽Restless World Anew, co-commissioned by the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, and international聽performances by the Asian Youth Orchestra. He is a multi-award-winning composer and Assistant聽Professor of Composition and Theory at the University of Saskatchewan.听
The final round of the competition聽will take聽place聽at the Schulich School of Music聽on聽September 27, 2026,聽at 2:00聽pm聽and will be webcast live.听The five new聽works will be聽premiered by outstanding聽Montreal based contemporary music ensemble,聽:聽Jeffrey Stonehouse聽(flute聽and artistic direction),聽Viviane Gosselin聽(cello),聽Gw茅na毛lle聽Ratouit聽(clarinet), Hubert Brizard聽(violin),聽Pamela Reimer聽(piano), Krystina Marcoux聽(percussion).聽Following the聽performance, the jury will award聽over $50,000 in聽prizes: $18,000 for the first聽prize, $12,000 for the second, three honourable mentions聽of $6,000,聽as well as聽a $6,000聽People鈥檚 Choice Award.听聽
Chaired by聽Associate聽Professor and Area Coordinator of Music Composition at the Schulich School of Music聽Jean Lesage, the jury comprises acclaimed聽Canadian violinist聽Amy Hillis;聽winner of the 2nd聽edition of the Graham Sommer Competition,聽Matthew Ricketts聽(Canada);聽Marcos Balter聽(Brazil),聽and聽Zosha Di聽Castri聽(Canada),聽members of the composition faculty at Columbia University;聽Director of聽the Canadian Music Center in聽Ontario,聽Joseph Glaser; and聽Afa Dworkin,聽President and Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization.听聽
About the Competition:聽
Canadian composers under the age of 35 were invited to聽submit聽three scores for any standard chamber music configuration by聽August 15, 2024.听Based on these submissions, an聽international jury of composers,聽performers, and distinguished members of the classical music community selected聽five聽finalists to聽create an original work for聽sextet: C flute, B-flat鈥痗larinet, violin, cello,聽piano, and vibraphone.听The five聽commissioned works will be聽premiered before a聽live jury聽by聽聽at聽the聽Schulich School of Music聽of 成人VR视频聽on聽September 27, 2026, at 2:00聽p.m.听The concert will be webcast.听The聽winners of all聽prizes, including the audience聽prize, will be announced following the聽performance and jury deliberations.听For聽more聽information,聽visit聽www.mcgill.ca/gsc.听
About Dr. Graham Sommer:聽
Dr.听Graham聽Sommer died on October 2,聽2016,聽and left a legacy of excellence in medicine and an abiding love for the transformative聽power of music. A native of British Columbia,聽Dr.听Sommer graduated from 成人VR视频鈥檚 Faculty of Medicine in 1972 and went on to hold聽positions at Yale and Stanford Universities, becoming a world class researcher for 37 years.听Dr. Sommer鈥檚 enduring聽passion for music has resonated at 成人VR视频 notably through the Dr. Graham Sommer聽Piano Fund, which supported the restoration of聽pianos in 成人VR视频 residences and the聽purchase of a new聽piano for Douglas聽Hall.听While Sommer excelled in his chosen field of medicine, he was also inspired by a lifelong love of music fostered by his own accomplishments as a classical聽pianist and composer.听
