Nikki Chooi (born January 31, 1989) is a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
classical violinist. Chooi is currently concertmaster of the
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York led by Music Director JoAnn Falletta. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Each season it ...
. He previously served as concertmaster of the
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred to colloquially as the Met, the company i ...
in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
. He is a prize winner of the
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
The Queen Elisabeth Competition (, ) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in City of Brussels, Brussels. The competition is named after Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (1876–1 ...
and
Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition and first-prize winner of the 2013
Michael Hill International Violin Competition, Montreal Symphony Manulife Competition, and
Klein International Strings Competition.
Life and career
Chooi was born in
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...
, Canada, to parents of
Indonesian-Chinese descent. He began the violin at the age of four in the
Suzuki method
The Suzuki method is a mid-20th-century music curriculum and teaching method created by Japanese violinist and pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki. The method claims to create a reinforcing environment for learning music for young learners.
Backgroun ...
at the
Victoria Conservatory of Music and at age nine, he became a protege of Canadian violinist
Sydney Humphreys.
In 2000, Chooi made his orchestral debut with the
Victoria Symphony Orchestra and was subsequently invited to perform at the 2001
Victoria Symphony "Splash" held at the Victoria Inner Harbour for an audience of over 50,000 people. That same year, aged twelve, he performed Haydn's
Violin Concerto in C Major with the
Sinfonia Toronto Orchestra at the
Glenn Gould Studio, which was recorded and broadcast nationally by
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
.
In 2003, he began studies with Bill van der Sloot at the
Mount Royal Conservatory in
Calgary
Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
, Canada. His summer studies included attending the Morningside Music Bridge and the Young Artist Programme at the
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building.
History
The NAC was one ...
. While he was still in high school, Chooi won First Prize at the 2004 Canadian National Music Festival, and a few months later he won the 2004 Montreal Standard Life Competition where he debuted with the
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
The Montreal Symphony Orchestra () is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts.
History
Several orchestras were precursor ensembles to the curren ...
under the baton of
Jacque Lacombe. In 2007, he was the awarded a "Special Prize" at the
International Tchaikovsky Competition
The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia, for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 32 years of age and singers between 19 and 32 years of ...
held in
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia.
Chooi attended the
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on a full scholarshi ...
and the
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...
. His mentors have included
Ida Kavafian,
Joseph Silverstein, and
Donald Weilerstein
Donald Weilerstein (born 1940) is an American violinist and pedagogue.
Early life and education
Weilerstein was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Berkeley, California. He began playing the violin at the age of four and earned a Bachelor ...
. He has also worked closely with
Pamela Frank,
Shmuel Ashkenasi,
Peter Wiley
Peter Wiley (born 1955) is a cellist and cello teacher. He entered the Curtis Institute of Music at 13 years of age, where he studied with David Soyer. He was then appointed principal cellist of the Cincinnati Symphony at age 20, after one yea ...
, and
Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman (; born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor.
Life and career
Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zukerman. He began his musica ...
.
Over the years, Chooi has performed with orchestras in Canada and internationally such as the
St Petersburg State Symphony,
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO; ) is a Malaysian orchestra based in Kuala Lumpur. The orchestra is resident at the Petronas Philharmonic Hall (Dewan Filharmonik Petronas). It is one of Asia's leading orchestras and is praised for its ...
,
National Arts Centre Orchestra
The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NAC Orchestra) is a Canadian orchestra based in Ottawa, Ontario. The NAC Orchestra's primary concert venue is Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre. Since its inception, the Orchestra has commissioned more ...
,
Calgary Philharmonic,
Auckland Philharmonia,
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
The Montreal Symphony Orchestra () is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts.
History
Several orchestras were precursor ensembles to the curren ...
,
Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie The Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie () is a Belgian chamber orchestra based in Mons.
History
The Orchestra was founded in 1958 by the violinist Lola Bobesco and its leadership was entrusted successively to the concertmasters Philippe Hirsc ...
, and the
National Orchestra of Belgium
The Belgian National Orchestra (, ) is a Belgian orchestra, based in Brussels. Its principal concert venue is the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR). The orchestra also gives concerts outside Brussels in such cities as Sankt-Vith and Hasselt. ...
. As a recitalist, he has performed at the
Vancouver Recital Series,
Musica Viva Australia, Carnegie's
Weill Recital Hall,
Astral Artist
Astral may refer to:
Concepts of the non-physical
* Astral body, a subtle body posited by many religious philosophers
* Astral journey (or ''astral trip''), the same as having an ''out-of-body experience''
* Astral plane (AKA astral world), a ...
Concert Series in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, and the
Harris Theatre of
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. He has performed chamber music at the
Ravinia Festival
Ravinia Festival is a primarily outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September in a wide variety of musical genres from classical to pop. The first orche ...
,
Chamber Music Northwest
Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW) is an American non-profit organization in Portland, Oregon, dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music. In addition to its annual Summer Festival, the organization also presents individual chamber ...
, the
Dresden Music Festival The Dresden Music Festival (German: Dresdner Musikfestspiele) is an annual music festival which takes place in Dresden, Germany in May and June. Although classical music, including contemporary classical music, forms the core of its performances, wo ...
, the
Moritzburg Festival in Germany, the
Marlboro Music Festival
The Marlboro Music School and Festival is a retreat for advanced classical training and musicianship held for seven weeks each summer in Marlboro, Vermont, in the United States. Public performances are held each weekend while the school is in ses ...
, and he has toured with
Musicians from Marlboro.
Chooi performs regularly with his violinist brother,
Timothy Chooi
Timothy Chooi is a Canadian violinist and University of Ottawa professor of Chinese- Indonesian- Malaysian ethnic background. He won the First Prize at the 2018 International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition and Second Prize at the 2019 Qu ...
. Together, they have performed with the
Edmonton Symphony,
Newfoundland Symphony,
Malaysian Philharmonic and in recital at the
Orford Centre for the Arts,
Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, and the
Mooredale Series in Toronto.
During the 2015–2016 season, Chooi was a member of the ensemble
Time for Three, which performed with the
Hong Kong Philharmonic and in locations including Barbados,
Grand Teton
Grand Teton is the highest mountain of the Teton Range in Grand Teton National Park at in Northwest Wyoming. Below its north face is Teton Glacier.
The mountain is a classic destination in American mountaineering via the Owen-Spalding rout ...
, and
La Jolla SummerFest.
As of 2024, Chooi is concertmaster of the
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York led by Music Director JoAnn Falletta. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Each season it ...
under Music Director
JoAnn Falletta. He has performed as a guest concertmaster with the
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra is resident at Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Since 2008, the orchestra's music director is Manfred Ho ...
,
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The orchestra performs primarily at the Bradley Symphony Center in Allen-Bradley Hall. The orchestra also serves as the orchestra for Floren ...
,
Houston Symphony
The Houston Symphony is an American orchestra based in Houston, Texas. The orchestra is resident at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts.
History
The first concert of what was to become the Houston Symphony took place on June 21, 1 ...
,
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney. With roots going back to 1908, the orchestra was made a permanent professional orchestra on the formation of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932. ...
, and
Macao Orchestra. Chooi's solos as concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra can be heard through the ''
Metropolitan Opera Live in HD
Metropolitan Opera Live in HD (also known as The Met: Live in HD) is a series of live opera performances transmitted in high-definition video via satellite from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City to select venues, primarily movie theaters, ...
'' broadcasts in productions of Verdi’s ''
La traviata'', Janacek’s ''
Jenůfa
''Její pastorkyňa'' (''Her Stepdaughter''; commonly known as ''Jenůfa'' ) is an opera in three acts by Leoš Janáček to a Czech libretto by the composer, based on the Play (theatre), play ''Její pastorkyňa'' by Gabriela Preissová. It was ...
'', and the Grammy-nominated recording of Richard Strauss’ ''
Der Rosenkavalier
(''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from Louvet de Couvrai's novel ''Les amours du cheva ...
'' released on the Decca Label.
Chooi has recorded for Naxos, Beau Fleuve, Atoll, and Decca labels. He performs on a 1713 Stradivarius provided by Canimex, Inc., a 1749 G. B. Guadagnini on extended loan through the Stradivari Society of Chicago, and a 2016 Joseph Curtin. Chooi endorses Thomastik-Infeld strings.
Awards
Chooi has received several prestigious awards over the years.
*2004 First Prize Winner of the Canadian National Music Festival, Charlottetown, Canada
*2004 First Prize Winner of the Canadian Music Competition, Toronto, Canada
*2004 First Prize Winner of the Montreal Standard Life Competition, Montreal, Canada
*2007 Special Prize at the 2007
International Tchaikovsky Competition
The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia, for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 32 years of age and singers between 19 and 32 years of ...
*2008 Recipient of the Sylva Gelber Foundation Award
*2009 Recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts Music Instrument Bank Competition, Toronto, Canada
*2009 First Prize
Klein Competition
The Irving M. Klein International String Competition is a music competition held annually in June in San Francisco, California.
The Klein is open to string players between the ages of 15 and 23 who are not under professional management. The compet ...
,
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, United States
*2012 Laureate of the 2012
Queen Elisabeth Competition
The Queen Elisabeth Competition (, ) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in City of Brussels, Brussels. The competition is named after Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (1876–1 ...
,
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, Belgium
*2013 First Prize at the Michael Hill International Violin Competition
Discography
*2021: Vivaldi Four Seasons (Beau Fleuve)
*2021: Violin Repertoire Levels 4-8 (Royal Conservatory of Music)
*2020: Schmitt Legende, Op. 66 for Violin and Orchestra
*2014: Debut recording of works by Gershwin, Prokofiev, and Ravel (Atoll Label)
See also
*
Timothy Chooi
Timothy Chooi is a Canadian violinist and University of Ottawa professor of Chinese- Indonesian- Malaysian ethnic background. He won the First Prize at the 2018 International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition and Second Prize at the 2019 Qu ...
*
List of Stradivarius instruments
This is a list of Stradivarius string instruments made by members of the house of Antonio Stradivari.
Stradivarius instruments
Violins
This list has 282 entries.
Early period: 1666–1699
Golden period: 1700–1718
Late period: 1726–173 ...
References
External links
*
Astral Profile PageTime for ThreeMusic.cbc.caTheviolinchannel.comMusic.cbc.ca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chooi, Nikki
1989 births
Living people
Canadian classical violinists
Musicians from Victoria, British Columbia
Curtis Institute of Music alumni
Canadian people of Chinese descent
Canadian people of Indonesian descent
Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States
21st-century classical violinists
21st-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers
Canadian male violinists and fiddlers
Concertmasters
Players of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra