The UBC School of Music is thrilled to welcome a new faculty member to its Strings Division: Ryan Davis who will join the School as Assistant Professor, Viola. He will start his position on July 1, 2024.
“I’m excited to welcome Ryan Davis to the faculty of the UBC School of Music. Ryan is an outstanding artist whose multifaceted approach to performance positions him perfectly to support our vision of nurturing innovative, collaborative, and thoughtful musicians.”
Photo credit: Stuart Lowe
“A violist unlike any other” (Stir Vancouver), Canadian Ryan Davis has swiftly emerged as a singular creative force. Davis commands praise for his presence as a composer-performer under the moniker “Radia”, unifying his extensive classical training with the inspiration of folk, electronic, and hip-hop music. An “electronic Wunderkind” (OperaRamblings), he delights in redefining the viola’s profile and seamlessly blending in between creative spaces. His unique sound has garnered attention and has been featured in diverse spaces, including in Toronto’s Koerner Hall, The Violin Channel, in Los Angeles’s Skid Row, and on ABC Channel 7 News LA. Of Glow & Abandon, (see below) his debut EP, was released on all major platforms in December 2021, “showcasing multitudes of colours and possibilities, with much skill and imagination” (The WholeNote). He was also named one of “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30” by CBC Music in 2021.
Davis was named an Artistic Partner with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra (SSO) for their 2022-2023 season. This partnership featured his performance of the rarely heard Cecil Forsyth’s Viola Concerto In G Minor on opening night; as well as the premiering of Radia’s orchestration of Of Glow & Abandon, an original work for viola, electronics, and the SSO musicians. He has enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with The Gryphon Trio, joining them in eclectic performances in Halifax, Salt Spring Island, Toronto, Vancouver, and Victoria. Their Halifax performance has been nationally broadcast on CBC Radio’s In Concert program. Some other recent highlights include the release of his duet composition Lavender Jump on violinist Mayumi Seiler’s new album Six Degrees, and an appearance on former Toronto Raptors forward and NBA Champion Serge Ibaka’s Instagram Live show How Talented Are You?. His passion for community engagement has led to working closely with Street Symphony, focused within the Skid Row neighbourhood of Los Angeles.
Davis completed music studies at McGill University, Yale University, and The Colburn School, under the tutelage of Andre Roy, Ettore Causa, and Paul Coletti. He was the first ever violist Rebanks Fellow in 2019, in the Rebanks Family Fellowship & International Performance Residency Program in Toronto. Learn more about Ryan Davis by visiting his website.
Welcome to UBC, Ryan Davis!
