Liam Ritz (b. 1996) is a Canadian composer based in Toronto, Ontario.
His music draws inspiration from eclectic and varied influences including popular music, jazz, visual arts, literature, dance, and theatre. In recent years, much of his work has explored themes of memory and place, integrating references and quotations from other music and art forms to create multi-layered contextual meanings within his compositions.
As a composer, Ritz has collaborated with esteemed ensembles such as the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He has also worked alongside acclaimed performers including Gemma New, Cameron Crozman, Etsuko Kimura, Joseph Johnson, and others.
Ritz’s compositions have been featured in prominent festivals and workshops across North America, including the Bowdoin International Music Festival (Brunswick, ME), 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 Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop (Toronto, ON). His works are frequently programmed in solo and chamber recitals, with performances in the US, Italy, Finland, Argentina, and Japan.
Ritz is the recipient of six SOCAN Foundation Young Composers Awards, a Prix Artistique from Jeunesses Musicales Canada: Concours Do Mi Si La Do Ré, and the 2020 City of Hamilton Arts Award. His artistic endeavours have been supported by organizations including the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, RBC Emerging Artists Project, and SOCAN Foundation. Ritz was selected for the inaugural Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Composer Fellowship program (2018/19) and has participated in prestigious programs such as the Winnipeg New Music Festival’s Composers Institute (2022/23) and the Bowdoin International Music Festival’s Composition Program (2024).
Ritz holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto, where he studied composition under Abigail Richardson-Schulte. He has furthered his education through private composition studies and master classes with notable composers including Pēteris Vasks, Kalevi Aho, Dai Fujikura, Tania León, Robin de Raaff, Ana Sokolović, Jean Lesage, Derek Bermel, Haralabos (Harry) Stafylakis, and Kelly-Marie Murphy.