Biography

Named by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation as one of Canada’s 30 top classical musicians under 30 and praised by International Piano Magazine for his “sensitive and cultivated handling” of melody, pianist Spencer Klymyshyn is known for his beautiful and nuanced sound. Spencer has won numerous awards and recognitions in national competitions. In 2023, Spencer placed 2nd at the Liszt Society International Piano Competition. In 2019, Spencer was the national winner at the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals (FCMF) National Music Competition. He was also, in both 2017 and 2018, a national first-place award winner at the Canadian Music Competition. Spencer has performed in Canada, Europe, and the UK, and as a soloist on tour with the Symphony New Brunswick. Spencer is the recipient of the Dasha Shenkman Award from the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund for 2023-2024.

Spencer is a scholarship student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, UK, working with Ronan O’Hora, Martin Roscoe and Charles Owen in pursuit of his Artist Diploma. He recently completed his Artist Masters in Performance with Distinction and a Concert Recital Diploma. He is a graduate of the Schulich School of Music, McGill University, where he completed his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with Distinction, studying with Dr. Ilya Poletaev. Spencer holds an ARCT in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Spencer represented the Americas at the 2024 Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey (broadcast live on BBC One, BBC World and BBC Youtube on March 11th, 2024), performing in the presence of senior members of the Royal Family, as well as diplomats and politicians from across the Commonwealth, in an event bringing together over 2,000 individuals from around the world. In February 2024, Spencer was heard on BBC Radio 3 performing a UK premiere in the BBC Symphony Orchestra Total Immersion Day showcasing the works of Missy Mazzoli. In 2023, Spencer was a semi-finalist in the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) competition and was selected to compete in the Overseas Awards where he was the winner of a special award and scholarship for an Outstanding Canadian Musician. In addition, Spencer was the grand award winner of the Romantic Piano Prize at the Guildhall School.

Spencer has participated in masterclasses with Dame Imogen Cooper, Richard Goode, André Laplante, John Perry, Hie-Yon Choi, Paul Roberts and many others. He has also had the pleasure of working with Boris Berman, Robert McDonald, Jacques Rouvier, Boris Slutsky, Anton Nel and more. As a chamber musician and collaborative pianist Spencer has enjoyed working with coaches Julius Drake, Ralph de Souza (Endellion Quartet), Michael McMahon, Ralph Gothoni, Carole Presland, Matthew Jones, Marie-Ève Scarfone, and Maestro Alexis Hauser.

In April 2022, Spencer completed a tour with the Symphony New Brunswick performing the Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 in Saint John, Fredericton and Moncton, New Brunswick under the baton of Holly Mathieson. Also in 2022, Spencer performed three recitals at The International Holland Music Sessions (TIHMS) in Bergen, Alkmaar, and Enkhuizen.

Spencer is the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and various arts organizations. Spencer is the holder of an Ian Fleming Instrumentalist Award from Help Musicians. He is also generously supported by the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund, the Lemford Foundation, Talent Unlimited, The Worshipful Company of Carmen Benevolent Trust and the Kiwanis Music Festival Senior Scholarship Program.