Timothy Chooi, Violinist

Violinist Timothy Chooi (pronounced “Chewy”) is known for his heartfelt playing, warmth of tone, and engaging stage presence. Praised for “dazzling the audience with a combination of flawless technique and heartfelt expression” (El Informador, Guadalajara), he has shared his music with audiences around the world in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall.

A native of Canada with Chinese-Indonesian heritage, Timothy’s musical journey has taken him from early studies in Montréal to collaborations with leading orchestras and conductors including Gianandrea Noseda, Xian Zhang, and Pinchas Zukerman. He is a prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth and Joseph Joachim International Violin Competitions and a recipient of the Yves Paternot Prize from Switzerland’s Verbier Festival.

Currently Professor of Violin at the University of Ottawa, Timothy received the 2025 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Award for his work connecting performance, community engagement, and accessibility in classical music.

He performs on two historic instruments: the 1714 “Dolphin” Stradivarius—once played by Jascha Heifetz and generously loaned by the Nippon Music Foundation—and the 1741 “Titan” Guarneri del Gesù, on loan from the Canimex Group (Drummondville, Québec).

Outside of music, Timothy finds balance and joy in simple things—baking, tending to his garden, and rewatching the anime he grew up with, especially Yu-Gi-Oh! and Inuyasha.