Timothy Chooi

Internationally acclaimed violinist Timothy Chooi (pronounced “Chewy”) is celebrated for his passionate interpretations, emotional depth and dynamic stage presence. Praised for “dazzling the audience with a combination of flawless technique and heartfelt expression” (El Informador, Guadalajara), he has appeared with leading orchestras and at prestigious venues worldwide. Beyond the concert stage, Chooi is recognized as a cultural leader, committed to expanding access to classical music through education, outreach, and digital platforms that have reached millions of viewers worldwide. His artistry reflects the traditional roots of Asia, the elegance of European training and the openness of his North American upbringing—embodying the voice of a 21st-century violinist.

A laureate of some of the world’s most distinguished competitions, Chooi won First Prize at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Hannover, Second Prize at the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition in Brussels and the Yves Paternot Prize from Switzerland’s Verbier Festival. His career has been supported and mentored by luminaries including Pinchas Zukerman and Anne-Sophie Mutter, whose encouragement has helped shape his path as one of today’s leading violinists.

Chooi has collaborated with renowned conductors including Gianandrea Noseda, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Michele Mariotti, Xian Zhang and Pinchas Zukerman. His orchestral partners include the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Belgian National Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Wiener Concert-Verein and Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

He made his solo concerto debut at age 16 with l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM), launching a career that has since taken him to Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, London’s Royal Albert Hall and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

The 2025–26 season marks a significant milestone in Chooi’s career, highlighted by his debuts with the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, as well as a major European tour with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra across Munich, Innsbruck, Paris, Antwerp, Eindhoven, Linz, and Prague. Other highlights include Hong Kong’s Generation Next Arts Festival; concerto engagements with the Calgary Philharmonic and other North American orchestras; his appointment as Artistic Partner of Wiener Concert-Verein for the 2025–26 season, including a concert at the Musikverein Wien and performances in France. Festival appearances include the Verbier Festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival and recitals in Vancouver, Brussels, Antwerp, Tokyo, Seoul, Ottawa, and New York City.

Chooi’s artistry is widely broadcast and recorded, including collaborations with Anne-Sophie Mutter and Mutter’s Virtuosi for Deutsche Grammophon, Medici TV features and appearances on NPO Radio Klassiek (Amsterdam), WQXR (New York), RTBF (Belgium), Swiss Public Radio, CBC Radio Canada, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and Danish Public Radio.

Born in Canada to Chinese-Indonesian parents, Chooi is now Professor of Violin at the University of Ottawa (Canada), where he received the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Award in 2025. His work emphasizes research in violin performance and classical music as a cultural connector, community engagement, accessibility and nurturing the future of the violin as a mentor and teacher.

Timothy Chooi performs on the legendary 1714 “Dolphin” Stradivarius, once played by Jascha Heifetz, generously loaned by the Nippon Music Foundation. He also plays the 1741 “Titan” Guarneri del Gesù (CANIMEX Group, Drummondville, Québec) and a 1761 Landolfi violin (University of Ottawa).