Liam Pistor said that while he has done a lot of solo work with the clarinet, there is something special about performing with other people. Photo: Dahlia Katz, courtesy of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada

A local musician has reached a life goal as they play a hometown show while on tour with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

Liam Pistor's passion for music started when his parents first put him in piano lessons in elementary school after his music teacher saw talent in him.

His passion for music led him to play the clarinet in his high school band, and now he is putting his musical talents to use on tour with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada for their 65th anniversary.

“The thing is with music, I can't really see myself doing anything else,” Pistor said. “I think music has just been something that's always been a part of my life.”

After high school, Pistor studied piano performance at the University of Victoria, where he got experience with the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra.

He then went to Western University for a master’s degree in piano, followed by a diploma in clarinet performance at UBC.

He said performing with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada has been a long-time goal of his, but he wasn't able to audition every year that he was eligible due to focusing on education and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I found the time for it this year, and I worked really hard on my audition and just really made sure that the music, the excerpts I had to do, really matched the style of the composer, and that I was having the right amount of musicality,” he said. “I was very lucky to get in this year, and I'm very excited about it. I was super excited when I got that email, like, ‘wow.’ I was kind of in disbelief, but I was so happy.”

While he has done a lot of solo work with the piano and clarinet, he said there is something special about performing with other people.

“You're not just playing what you're playing, but you're also responding to what's happening around you, and it just feels very special,” he said.

The age range of the youth orchestra is 16 to 28, and as one of the older musicians, he said it is inspiring to be able to play alongside younger musicians.

The 65th anniversary tour has already started with performances in Ontario, and will be performing in Nanaimo on Wednesday, July 30. The performance will be at the Port Theatre with tickets on sale on the theatre's website.

What music is performed varies by location, giving the orchestra a wide repertoire to perform throughout the tour.

“I'm really looking forward to the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2. That's the one I'm looking forward to the most,” he said. “I'm Principal Clarinet for that one, and it's going to be performed in Nanaimo.”

Pistor said it is an amazing feeling to be able to perform with the youth orchestra in Nanaimo.

He said his family already has tickets for the performance at the Port Theatre. As well, his high school music teacher and other friends and family will be in the audience. He said this show is a very special opportunity to show his friends and family the work he has been training for his whole life.

“It's one thing to be able to said that you were in the National Youth Orchestra, but to be able to show that experience to your family and friends is just even more exciting and more special,” he said.

Following the performance in Nanaimo, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada will perform several shows in Victoria from August 1 to the 3rd, with some free shows a part of the Symphony SPLASH!

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.