Personal traits that catapulted Iain So and Junia Friesen to recognition as two of the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s (TCDSB) 2024-25 Top Scholars have also empowered them to notable successes as instrumentalists.

So is a pianist who graduated from Michael Power-St. Joseph High School with a 99.33 per cent average. He said discipline is paramount both in a classroom and in a conservatory.

“You get in the habit of practising every day, rehearsing and really being picky with your practice,” said So. “It is also important to be disciplined in striving for excellence in the classroom.”

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Friesen, a violinist who also achieved a 99.33 per cent average in her studies at the all-girls St. Joseph’s College School, said attention to detail has driven her to academic and musical accomplishments.

“(In music), it is important to be precise and work really hard to get it perfect,” said Friesen. “This (trait) has helped me in the academic world as well, as I am more able to be super focused on something and keep working at it until it’s the best I can produce.”

Friesen spoke with The Catholic Register in the afterglow of participating in the prestigious Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival international youth orchestra in Germany. A jury handpicks just 120 young musicians (aged 26 or younger) from around the world to feature in this orchestra each year.

“Bringing all these extremely good musicians from all these different places together to play symphonies and other orchestral works and work with amazing conductors is really an eye-opening experience for me,” the 18-year-old said.

So has also exhibited his piano talents abroad. Notably, he has performed as a chamber musician at the Csehy Summer School of Music in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, where he earned the Samuel Hsu Piano Scholarship. Valuing the impact of the musical education he received at this Christian camp, So organized charity concerts to financially support fellow young musicians interested in attending Csehy.

“My friends and I talked about how it would be important to give students the opportunity to go to this camp that was so important to us,” said So. “We became friends there and we made some beautiful music together.”

Friesen has also endeavoured to uplift fellow musicians as a concertmaster, also known as the first-chair violinist, with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Academy Chamber Orchestra. The concertmaster leads the orchestra in tuning and liaises with the conductor on behalf of the ensemble.

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Both So and Friesen effusively praised figures who aided their development into quality musicians. They were also complimentary of the educators who inspired them to become top scholars. ‘

“I received a lot of wonderful support throughout my high school career,” said So. “I had some wonderful teachers who really guided me and taught the subject so well that I could do well in school.”

Friesen said, “I couldn’t have done it without the school I was at, St. Joe’s. I think the environment there made this possible because there is such a tradition of excellence.”

Both will now strive to carry forward this pedigree for excellence into undergraduate studies.

So is studying life sciences at the University of Toronto, with aspirations to pursue a career in health care or education. Passionate about chemistry and biology, So said he appreciates “the interconnectedness” between the two sciences and how relevant both are to daily life.

He contemplated studying music (he will continue playing), but after spending some time in discernment, he gravitated toward another passion. So credits the spiritual support he receives from his New City Church community as he makes key life choices that he hopes honour God.

“Each week I go and get uplifted and be reminded of the purpose of what I do, which is to give God all the glory and use my gifts to praise Him,” said So.

Friesen will further study her violin craft at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Glenn Gould School in Vaughan, Ont. Joining a professional orchestra, playing in a string quartet and teaching students are all possibilities she would like to entertain in the years ahead.

Again, echoing So, she has found joy in performing music each Sunday to honour God. She attends Little Trinity Anglican Church with her family.

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“I really enjoy playing music in church because I get to honour God through my gift. What could be better than that?”

Fifteen TCSDB graduating students merited Top Scholars recognition in 2024-25. All registered a 98.17 per cent average or better in their studies. Learn more at tcdsb.org.