Nikki Chooi, Violin

Born in Victoria, British Columbia, nineteen-year-old violinist Nikki Chooi, is enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with renowned violinists Joseph Silverstein and Ida Kavafian. His previous teachers include Bill van der Sloot at the Mount Royal Conservatory, and Sydney Humphreys at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. He is a recent recipient of the Sylva Gelber Foundation Award of the Canada Council of the Arts.

In 2008, Mr. Chooi performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. He was also featured soloist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra on its Western Canada Performance and Educational Tour. In May 2009, he will embark on a European Tour performing chamber music with violist, Roberto Diaz and pianist, Robert MacDonald. In 2007 he was invited by Debut Atlantic to give a series of six recitals, touring across the Atlantic provinces of Canada. In Jan 2008, he performed a recital at the Canadian National Arts Centre featured by its Debut Series in Ottawa.

At age 18, Mr. Chooi was a Special Prize winner and the youngest competitor at the XIII Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition in 2007. He was also a semi-finalist at the 2007 Michael Hill Violin Competition in Auckland, New Zealand, winner of the 2007 Shean Strings Competition in Edmonton, awarded the “Galaxie Rising Star” at the Montreal International Violin Competition in 2006, and winner of the Montreal Symphony Standard Life Competition in 2004. At the 2004 Canadian National Music Festival, Mr. Chooi was awarded 1st place in the strings category, 1st place in the chamber music category, and was the overall “Grand Award” winner.

Mr. Chooi has been guest soloist with orchestras throughout Canada and has attended numerous summer programs, including the National Arts Centre Young Artist Program under the direction of maestro Pinchas Zukerman, where he was recipient of the "Most Promising Artist" scholarship.