Timothy Chooi’s trailblazing efforts in changing classical music through community outreach recognized with Award

Internationally acclaimed Canadian violinist Timothy Chooi has been honored by The University of Ottawa for his eight-plus years of EDI-focused outreach and concertizing, including co-founding VISION Collective in 2018, "Folk Music Reimagined for Solo Violin," the 2020 digital series on social media platforms launched during the worldwide Pandemic supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, inclusive concert programming, performance-based case studies, travel to remote communities to lead workshops and performances, and strategic leveraging of musical storytelling as social connection. The honor comes from the University of Ottawa, where he serves as Associate Professor of Violin at the university’s School of Music. The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Award was recently presented by the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

In an announcement from the University regarding the Award, Chooi stated,

“The performing arts, and classical music in particular, have often lagged behind other fields in implementing EDI principles in meaningful ways. …My research is not only artistic but social. It seeks to connect people through performance, community engagement and cultural dialogue.”

“I am interested not only in who performs and listens, but in how and why we perform, and in the cultural legacies we carry, challenge and pass on.”

Mr. Chooi’s upcoming fall engagements 2025 include performances in Japan at the Kobe International Music Festival and in Tokyo and Yamagata for Encounter with Stradivari; with New World Chamber Orchestra in Seoul and GMC Chamber Series in Busan, South Korea; with Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, Pennsylvania, United States; Hong Kong Generation Next Arts Festival in China; and a four-performance recital engagement with Vancouver, Canada’s Music in the Morning series.

Winter/spring 2026 sees Chooi on a seven-city, six-country tour with Symfonický orchestr hlavního mesta Prahy (Prague Symphony Orchestra) including stops in Munich (Germany), Innsbruck, (Austria), Paris (France), Antwerp (Belgium), Eindhoven (Netherlands), Linz (Austria), and Prague (Czech Republic); a violin and marimba recital for Tryon Concert Association in North Carolina; as conductor and violinist for a four-performance tour of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with Vienna Musicverein (Vienna Music Association) in Vienna, Austria, and Grenoble and Aix-en-Provence, France; and also with the Calgary Philharmonic in Canada. Chooi also performs with additional orchestras in the United States and Canada.

Acclaimed for his extensive repertoire, passionate interpretations, emotional depth, and dynamic stage presence, Timothy Chooi is celebrated for his artistry onstage - appearing with renowned orchestras and prestigious venues around the globe to glowing reviews - and for his community outreach offstage and across digital platforms, reaching over 200,000 followers worldwide. Chooi's accolades include First Prize at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition, Second Prize at the Queen Elisabeth International Competition in Brussels, and the Yves Paternot Prize from the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

Born in Canada and raised in the US to Chinese-Indonesian parents, Timothy Chooi rose to prominence at sixteen, performing with l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Montreal Symphony Orchestra). A staunch supporter of music education, he is an Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Ottawa School of Music since 2021.

Timothy Chooi performs on three exceptional violins:

• the “Engleman” Stradivarius violin from 1709, on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation in Japan;

• the “Titan” Guarneri del Gesù violin from 1741, on loan from CANIMEX INC. in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada;

• and the 1761 Landolfi violin, endowed to him through his professorship at the University of Ottawa. 

Mr. Chooi is represented by Lee Prinz of Colbert Artists Management for general management, and Moto Hirasa for engagements in Asia.

Photo Credit: Den Sweeney

Press Contact:Laura Grant, Grant Communications
Laura@grant-communications.com; 917.359.7319