Described as, "a model of taste and tonal refinement" (Boston Globe) and "vigorous and colorful" (New York Times), Nikki Chooi is performing this weekend with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. But he made his first stop on Morning Light with Michael Wolch Thursday morning. If you missed it, watch the interview here!

As First Prize Winner of the 2013 Michael Hill International Violin Competition, Nikki recently completed an extensive recital tour with Chamber Music New Zealand, performed with Giordano Bellincampi and the Auckland Philharmonia, recorded his debut album with the Atoll Label, and a recital at Australia's Musica Viva Series. He is also a winner of the 2013 Astral Artists' Auditions and Laureate of the 2012 Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition.

This weekend (Feb 27 & 28), Nikki will be performing Dvorák's Violin Concerto in A minor with the WSO in a program that also includes Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 3  and a world premiere of a work written by former WSO composer in residence, Vincent Ho.

Missed Michael's interview with the award winning violinist? Watch it here!

 

 

Watch Nikki in the final round of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition perform Sibelius' Violin Concerto with the Auckland Philharmonie.

 

 

Nikki was born in Victoria, British Columbia. He began his studies at the Victoria Conservatory of Music where at age 9, he became a protege of Sydney Humphreys. He is a graduate of the Mount Royal Conservatory, and received his undergraduate degree at the Curtis Institute of Music, and recently completed his studies at the Juilliard School with Ida Kavafian and Donald Weilerstein. In 2004, he came to national attention as the Grand Award winner of the Canadian National Music Festival and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal Standard Life Competition.

Earlier in 2014, Nikki made his debut as Soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic and the St.Petersburg State Symphony at the Musical Olympus Festival in Russia. His Concerto Engagements in recent years have included performing with the Victoria Symphony, the Edmonton Symphony, National Orchestra of Belgium, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, the Peninsula Symphony, the Santa Cruz Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal.

His Recital Engagements have included: the Vancouver Recital Series, Debut Atlantic Canada Recital Tour, Canadian National Arts Debut Series, Caramoor Rising Stars Series in New York, Chamber Music Tulsa, Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago, and La Monnai "Concertini" in Belgium.

Nikki uses the 1700 "Taft" Stradivari on generous loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. He uses a Michael Vann Bow and a J.Voirin Bow (made possible by the Gene Witz Memorial Foundation)