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.

Upcoming engagements include debuts in Oslo and Tromsø, Norway; Waterloo, Belgium; and Niagara, Canada. 

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 a new work for piano quartet by their pianist, Godwin Friesen.