Violinist Junia Friesen comes from a family of musicians. After her glockenspiel debut at age three in the Friesen Family Band, she followed in her older sister’s footsteps and learned violin. Since then she has developed wide versatility on her instrument, improvising in jazz ensembles, soloing in fiddle tunes, and discovering a passion for playing baroque music with historical sensibility.

Having just completed her fourth year in The Taylor Academy at The Royal Conservatory, on full scholarship, Junia is a student of Mayumi Seiler. This spring, she was a winner of the Taylor Academy Concerto Competition and had her Koerner Hall debut with a faculty orchestra, performing Vivaldi’s “L’estate” from The Four Seasons. She has performed in masterclasses for artists such as James Ehnes, Ida Kavafian, Nikki Chooi, and Jonathan Crow. Junia has recently completed her second season with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, serving as concertmaster in the fall and spring terms.

Last summer, Junia toured Eastern Canada with the National Youth Orchestra. This summer, she is excited to attend Domaine Forget International Music Academy in Quebec. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, board games, and playing with her dog, Chester. She is also a budding visual artist with creativity extending beyond music into watercolour, calligraphy, flower arranging, and drawing.