Biography
Leo Purich (b. 1998) is a Montreal-based composer and a performer on viola, violin, and piano. Their work is driven by curiosity about connections between people, sounds, and ideas, and is informed by their love of various styles of classical, jazz, and folk music. Highlights of Leo’s recent years include performing an original viola trio at the 50th International Viola Congress, as well as commissions from NYO Canada, Chœur Saint-Laurent, Sapphonix Collective, and the West Island and Mount Royal youth orchestras. Among the accolades they have received are four Young Composer Awards from the SOCAN Foundation (including first prize in the orchestral category for 2025), and the Saxophone Quartet Composition Residency at McGill for 2023-24. As a violist, Leo took part in the 2022 NYO Borealis Tour, which included performances of their commissioned work, “Canopies | Canopées.” Leo was also a participant in the Young Artist Composers program of the Tuckamore Music Festival, and the Digital Music program of the Domaine Forget Academy. Leo recently graduated from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music in both Music Theory and Composition. Previously, they obtained a Double DEC in Science and Music from Vanier College.