“The trio plays as if they were one organism. This level of interplay … is a rare find.”

Nordlys (Tromsø, 2024)

Brought together by their shared passion for chamber music and musical narrative, the Rilian Trio is composed of three of Canada’s leading young musicians—pianist Godwin Friesen, violinist Daniel Dastoor, and cellist David Liam Roberts—who joined forces in 2021 at the Glenn Gould School (GGS) of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. In September 2023, they were awarded the first prize, the audience prize, and the prize for the best interpretation of the commissioned piece at the 12th Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition. Since 2024, they have had a special relationship with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, which has become their European base.

Recent and upcoming engagements include debuts in Oslo, Kongsberg, and Trømsø, Norway; Copenhagen, Denmark; Waterloo, Belgium; and Calgary and Niagara, Canada. The 2024-25 season also has the trio returning to Trondheim as festival artists at the Trondheim Kammermusikkfestival.

The Rilian Trio’s earliest mentorship came from cellist Bryan Epperson at the Glenn Gould School (GGS), where they were awarded first prize at the GGS Chamber Music Competition. They have participated in programs at the Trondheim International Chamber Academy, and at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, and have worked with artists such as Miguel da Silva, Steven Isserlis, Elisabeth Kufferath, Stefan Mendl, Régis Pasquier, and Christian Tetzlaff. Along with a quickly growing repertoire of established works, they have also premiered new works for piano trio and for piano quartet by their pianist, Godwin Friesen.

Godwin grew up in the Canadian Prairies, performing frequently as a member of the Friesen Family Band, singing and playing various instruments in styles ranging from folk to church-music to jazz. At age 17 he placed first in piano at the National Music Festival and in 2022 he won the Concours OSM, leading to several collaborations with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal in his current hometown.

Daniel is a winner of the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank, the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award, and the Calgary Philharmonic’s Marley Rynd Scholarship. He won first and second prizes at the GGS Chamber Competition and at the Fontainebleau Festival’s Prix Ravel, and has performed as soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic, Lethbridge Symphony, and Richmond Symphony.

First prize winner of the Canada Council for the Arts 2021 Michael Measures Prize, Métis-Canadian cellist David Liam enjoys an international performing career. Originally from Winnipeg, he is currently based in Basel, Switzerland. The 2024-25 season included a 40-concert recital tour of Canada with pianist Godwin Friesen presented by Prairie Debut.

Daniel performs on the 1700 Taft Stradivari violin, on loan by the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. He also performs on a 1950 Louis Henri Gillet bow, generously on loan from CANIMEX. David Liam performs on the 1690 Rugeri cello, on loan by the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. He also performs on a W.E. Hill&Sons bow, generously loaned to him by CANIMEX, Inc. from Drummondville, Quebec.

May 2025

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