Timothy Chooi: Astonishing

Musicians have always taken inspiration from the richly varied soundscapes of nature. Violinist Timothy Chooi and Pianist Serhiy Salov present a dynamic program of works that recall the radiant beauty of nature. 

PROGRAM

ARTISTS

Timothy Chooi
Powerful and finely nuanced interpretations, sumptuous sonorities, and a compelling stage presence are just a few of the hallmarks of internationally acclaimed violinist Timothy Chooi. A popular soloist and recitalist, he is sought after as much for his passionate performances as for his wide-ranging repertoire. Recent honors include Second Prize, Belgium’s world-renowned 2019 Queen Elisabeth Competition, First Prize, the 2018 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Germany, and the First Prize, the 2018 Schadt Violin Competition in the USA, In 2018 Chooi also won the ‘Prix Yves Paternot’ of Switzerland’s Verbier Festival, a prize which recognizes the most promising and accomplished musician of the annual Academy for young professional musicians, earning Chooi his future debut as a solo artist in the 2022 Verbier Festival. 

Future engagements include returns to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra with Peter Oundjian, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra Ottawa, and the Belgian National Orchestra, as well as his debuts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, DSO Berlin, Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt, Saarländisches Staatsorchester, and the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming recitals see Chooi performing in cities worldwide, including a European tour with Anne-Sophie Mutter. 

Recent performances include engagement with The Belgian National Orchestra, Luxembourg Chamber Orchestra, and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal; a live on-air recital on New York City’s WQXR classical radio station; and recital tours of Belgium and the United States. In addition to having already performed with every major orchestra in his home country of Canada, Timothy Chooi has also played with the Brussels Philharmonic under Stéphane Denève, with Santa Barbara Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liége, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also made an extensive recital tour with Jeunesses Musicales du Canada, appeared at the Ravinia Festival, and made his Carnegie Hall debut. 

In addition to his 2019 and 2018 awards, Timothy Chooi’s numerous honors include the third prize at the 2015 Michael Hill Violin Competition in New Zealand and Grand Prize at the 2010 Montreal Symphony Manulife Competition in Canada. He also won the EMCY Prize at the 2014 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition. and the Vadim Repin Scholarship Award in New York. 

As a founding member of The VISION Collective, a three-year-old ensemble of musicians and composers that utilizes music to highlight refugee and immigrant voices and stories, raising awareness for the global refugee crisis, and brings together individuals from all walks of life together to create diverse and meaningful art, he is also a recipient of the 2020 Harold W. McGraw Family Foundation’s The Robert Sherman Award for Music Education and Community Outreach. 

Chooi studied at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Catherine Cho. His mentors include Ida Kavafian, Pamela Frank, Pinchas Zukerman, Pamela Frank, and Patinka Kopec. He currently is enrolled in Juilliard’s prestigious Artist Diploma program studying with Catherine Cho and a Professional Studies candidate at the Kronberg Academy with Christian Tetzlaff and lives in Philadelphia, USA. 

Timothy Chooi is a Professor of Violin at the University of Ottawa. He performs on the 1717 Windsor-Weinstein Stradivarius on a generous loan from the Canada Council for the Arts and is a recipient of the Nippon Music Foundation Rare Instrument Project from the Government of Japan. 

Serhiy Salov
Serhiy Salov is recognized as an outstanding pianist, whose playing is both energetic and imbued with sensitivity. He is known for his remarkable technique and exacting rigour and virtuosity, qualities that unwaveringly serve the poetry inherent in the music. Public enthusiasm and critical acclaim have amply confirmed his prominent status on the international music scene as a soloist and chamber musician. In addition, Serhiy Salov has achieved distinction for his piano transcriptions of symphonic works such as Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, Debussy’s Nocturnes, Mussorgsky’s Night on a Bald Mountain, and many others.

After initially learning music in Ukraine, Salov pursued his studies in London, obtaining a Master’s degree from the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama, followed by a Doctor of Music degree from the Université de Montréal. His gifts extend far beyond the mastery of piano technique: the disciplines of improvisation, musicology, and the study of languages complement his training and enable him to deploy a highly expressive individual approach.

A superlative concert performer, Serhiy Salov has collaborated with renowned conductors and numerous orchestras around the world. He is regularly featured at the foremost international music festivals, and has been awarded many prizes in competitions worldwide.

REPERTOIRE

MOZART, Violin Sonata in A major, K.526
SZYMANOWSKI, Nocturne and Tarentella, Op. 28
BRAHMS, Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78
RAVEL, Tzigane