Violist Ryan Davis/Radia brings looping, electronic effects to West Vancouver concert, May 26
The boundary-breaking artist joins forces with Toronto’s Gryphon Trio for a wild musical ride
Ryan Davis/Radia. Photo by Stuart Lowe
Kay Meek Arts Centre’s Kay Meek Cabaret presents Ryan Davis/Radia at the McEwen Theatre in West Vancouver on May 26 from 7:30 to 9:30 pm
RYAN DAVIS IS a violist unlike any other. Under the moniker Radia, the Toronto-based composer-performer combines classical, folk, electronic, and hip-hop music with a loop pedal.
His compositions have been featured everywhere from Toronto’s Koerner Hall to Los Angeles’s Skid Row to ABC News LA. Then there was an appearance on How Talented Are You? on the Instagram Live channel of NBA champion and former Toronto Raptors player Serge Ibaka.
Next up is a performance in West Vancouver, where Radia will team up with triple-Juno-winning Gryphon Trio, also from Toronto. And what a match-up it is. Expect a one-of-a-kind boundary-breaking, lightly amplified concert, featuring original Radia songs that include looping and electronic-effects technology, all geared to new and established audiences and in particular to the musically curious.
Davis—who has a bachelor of music with “outstanding achievement in viola” from McGill University, a master’s from the Yale School of Music, and an artist diploma from The Colburn School—has been described by The WholeNote Magazine as “showcasing multitudes of colours and possibilities, with much skill and imagination.”
He was selected as the first ever violist in the Rebanks Family Fellowship & International Performance Residency Program in Toronto. His festival performances include Banff Centre for the Arts, McGill International String Quartet Academy, Festival Napa Valley, and Ritornello Chamber Music Festival, to name a few.
The Gryphon Trio, meanwhile, consists of violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon, cellist Roman Borys, and pianist Jamie Parker, innovators with a penchant for discovery. Together the three have commissioned more than 85 new works, and they collaborate regularly with other artists on projects that push the boundaries of classical music.
Touring regularly across North America and Europe, the ensemble has long-standing relationships with prominent arts incubators and presenters like Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Orford Music Academy, Music Toronto, Ottawa Chamberfest, and Festival del Lago International Academy of Music in Ajijic, Mexico. The trio often performs triple concerti with the world’s major symphony orchestras and smaller chamber orchestras.
The works on offer at the Kay Meek show will come alive at the intersection between tradition and innovation.
See here for more information.
Related Articles
The local trumpeter leads his eponymous Jazz Orchestra in a home-field appearance featuring the rising-star Los Angeles vocalist
Bold production of Monteverdi’s influential opera features director Guillaume Bernardi, conductor Alexander Weimann, and singer Marc Mauillon
The rapper and singer performs at Alliance Française Vancouver’s annual Fête de la Musique, alongside Kaya Ko, Alpha Yaya Diallo, Phantom Jungle, and many other eclectic acts
At this year’s Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the two acclaimed trumpeters find unique ways of expressing the legend’s enduring influence
Marquee Series concert showcases the tenor saxophonist’s sonic innovation and Chicago roots, in homage to a true legend
Intriguing programming ranges from majestic Holst and Berlioz to a contemporary work dedicated to craft brews, plus a beachfront finale
The choir, which has shared stages with international superstars Alicia Keys and Chris Martin, closes its season with a concert titled Songs of Resilience
After a cancer diagnosis, the former CEO left the corporate world and finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of playing his favourite musical instrument
Joined by his ensemble, the expressive artist pairs songs off his latest album with music inspired by his involvement in a Miles Davis biopic
The festival will include the premiere of Imant Raminsh’s Where Wildness Lives, a choral work dedicated to the artistic director’s late father
Taking place at Canadian Memorial United Church, the event celebrates the strength cultivated through community
Lineup spans indie-rock band Grade School, rap artist Missy D, the Cedar & Sage Dancers, and beyond
Outdoor show on July 25, part of the larger fest, also features Big Rig and DJ Jody Glenham
Programming spans ticketed concerts, an outdoor community performance, masterclasses, and more
Marquee Series act is known for its ’70s-punk roots and ever-evolving sound
Taking place in the state-of-the-art Rock Theatre, program features the Borealis String Quartet, Juno Award–winning Gryphon Trio, and more
Otto Tausk conducts the orchestra, along with mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb and the Vancouver Bach Choir, in a symphony that has a lot of everything
Finale of the storied UBC venue’s 100th-anniversary celebrations features celebrated soprano Simone Osborne and bass-baritone Gordon Bintner
New York–based multi-instrumentalist, the child of legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, is joined by their band and the Todd Stewart Trio
Performers at the 2026 edition include Uncle Strut, Felisha and the Jazz Rejects, Art d’Ecco, Brass Camel, Rich Hope, and many more
Artists hitting Jericho Beach Park range from Denmark’s Tina Dico and Ukraine’s Yagódy to Portland’s Anna Tivel and Jeffrey Martin
Event’s top works from across the country and the globe leap between juggling, circus, art installation, concert, and more
Artist Jasmine Chen relearns Mandarin and discovers lost family history in multidisciplinary, personal show
Reports are emerging that the musician, composer, and pillar of the Indigenous classical community passed away in car accident after father’s funeral in Northern Alberta
Genre-spanning national and local talents take to North Shore venues in presentation by BlueShore at CapU and Vancouver International Jazz Festival
Annual celebration’s main-stage offerings open with Métis fiddler Brianna Lizotte and close with Chicago’s LowDown Brass Band
Ema Nikolovska pairs with guitarist Sean Shibe, violist Timothy Ridout with pianist Federico Colli in a season that spans accordions, folk ensembles, and cellos
