Stewart Goodyear is a celebrated pianist and composer who is renowned for his versatility and innovation in the classical genre. Born in Toronto in 1978, Goodyear’s parents both contributed to his musical interests in their own ways. Although his father passed away shortly before Goodyear’s birth, he left behind a collection of records spanning many genres, including classic rock, folk, traditional Indian, and classical. Music immediately became his passion and he began playing piano at the young age of four. As his passion for piano developed, his mother helped him reach his potential by asserting Goodyear’s talent at the Royal Conservatory, ensuring he was taken seriously from a very early age.

With his mother’s support, Goodyear entered piano competitions at age ten, was televised with the National Arts Centre Orchestra at age eleven and won the Toronto Symphony Competition at age twelve. He graduated from the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto at fifteen, moving on to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and later received a master’s degree in piano performance from the Juilliard School in New York.

Goodyear has performed with the symphonies of over twenty cities across Canada, the United States, England, Germany, and Japan, including much time with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He is especially esteemed for his marathon performances of all 32 Beethoven sonatas in a single day, an act he has performed at multiple venues.

In addition to his abilities as a performing pianist, Goodyear is also a composer and improviser. By navigating classical music from multiple perspectives, Goodyear brings an innovative approach that illustrates his virtuosity, intellect, and poise.