Instrument: piano
Winner of the 2002 Orléans International Piano Competition in France, and Second Laureate of the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary, Canadian pianist Winston Choi is a meticulous performer whose fresh approach to standard repertory and commitment to works by living composers make him one of today’s most dynamic young concert artists.
Choi maintains an active international performing schedule. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Orchestre National de Lille, the Orchestre Symphonique d’Orléans, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the CBC Radio Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Victoria, Kamloops, and Kitchener-Waterloo, among others.
Choi has recently appeared in recital at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, the Weill and Merkin recital halls in New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Kravis Center For The Performing Arts in Florida, and as part of the “Grandes Solistas” cycle in Spain. Choi performs extensively in France, having played venues such as Salle Cortot in Paris, the Rencontres internationales Robert Casadesus in Lille, the Messiaen Festival, and the Strasbourg Festival.
Choi has also premiered and commissioned over 100 works by young composers, as well as established masters, and has notably collaborated with composers William Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Brian Ferneyhough, Bright Sheng, Christian Wolff, Chen Yi, and John Zorn.
Already a prolific recording artist, his discography includes a recording of the complete piano works of Elliott Carter, which was given 5 stars by BBC Music Magazine. He has also recorded for the Arktos, Crystal Records, and QuadroFrame labels.
Choi obtained both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Indiana University, receiving the Performer’s Certificate upon completing his studies with Menahem Pressler. Further studies were with Ursula Oppens at Northwestern University, where he completed his Doctorate of Music. The recipient of numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, he is now an Assistant Professor and Head of Piano at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.