Brendan Lawrence

BRENDAN LAWRENCE began violin lessons at the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2012 when he was three years old. Following the passing of his instructor, Pierre Gagnon, Brendan left the RCM and entered Gretchen Paxon- Abberger’s private studio in late 2025. He completed his RCM Level 9 Practical Exam with First Class Honours earlier this year. At his Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival debut in early 2025, Brendan was awarded first place and “Best of Class” in the Level 9 Upper Strings category. He achieved second place overall at the OMFA Provincial Finals later that year. Brendan returned to Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute’s Young Artist Program for a third consecutive year in August 2026. He was the concertmaster of their senior orchestra in 2025 and served as principal second violin for 2026. Brendan enjoys composing as well as arranging music and exploring the use of various combinations of instruments in his works. Outside of music, Brendan is the captain and engineering chair of his high school’s robotics team. He likes cycling, playing team sports with friends and making stop-motion short films. Brendan is an avid supporter of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in the English Premier League.