• TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS

Samuel Choi, violin

Praised by the in Franken.de (Germany) for "his high musicality and his understanding of music, "Violist and Violinist, Samuel Choi pursues a multifaceted music career as a teacher, chamber musician, adjudicator, soloist and arts administrator. Choi holds a Master of Music Degree from the Colburn Conservatory of Music, Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gouls School of Music and Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Toronto. Currently in his 4th year as the General Artistic Director of the OYMI Music Festival where Choi has led the festival to become one of the most respected competitive classical music competitions in Canada. In 2022, the festival had nearly 300 applicants. Choi was appointed Principal Viola of the Ontario Philharmonic Orchestra in 2022 after serving as the Acting Principal Viola since 2019.

As a soloist, Choi has appeared with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, PRISMA Festival Orchestra, Colburn baroque Ensemble, Chinese Arts Society of Toronto Orchestra, A.Y. Jackson Symphony and Chamber Orchestra where he performed the concertos of Bartok, Walton, Mozart and Bach. Choi is scheduled to make his solo concerto debut in Germany in 2023 where he will be performing Bartok Viola Concerto 3 times with the Pommersfelden Collegium Musicum Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dorian Keilhack. Choi was a winner of the Kreissparkasse Bank Collecgium Musicum Scholarship Award in Bamberg, Germany, Grand Prize Winner of the Guelph Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Recipient of the Swiss Fahrenkamp Foundation Scholarship Award, Runner Up of the PRISMA Festival Concerto Competition,1st prize winner of the Glenn Gould School Chamber Music Competition, 1st Prize winner of the Felix Galimir Chamber Music Award Competition and many other awards and scholarships.

Choi has worked and performed with world renowned conductors and artists such as Gustavo Dudamel, Esa Pekka Salonen, Sir Andrew Davis, Stephane Deneve, Peter Oundjian, Gabor Tackacs Nagy, Leon Fleischer, Roberto Minczuk, James Ehnes, Jan Vogler, Andras Keller, Rachel Barton Pine and many other renowned musicians. Choi was featured in former Juilliard String Quartet Cellist, Joel Krosnick's documentary, "What to play next?" which was released in 2019.

A passionate believer in music education and outreach, Choi was a chamber music coach at the Senior Division of the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy of the Royal Conservatory of Music (Formerly known as YAPA). Choi's current and former students have been accepted into McGill University Schulic School of Music, University of Toronto Faculty of Music, University of British Columbia School of Music, Western University Don Wright Faculty of Music, Earl Haig Claude Watson program and have won top prizes in Kiwanis, North York and OYMI Music Festivals. Choi is deeply grateful to all his teachers Paul Coletti, Jurgen Weber, Teng Li, Steven Dann, Jonathan Crow, Timothy Ying, Dennis Kim, Barry Shiffman, Mate Szucs and Kelly Parkins Lindstrom with whom he studied violin pedagogy.