Winston Choi, Piano

Laureate of the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition and winner of France’s 2002 Concours International de Piano 20e siècle d’Orléans, Canadian pianist Winston Choi is an inquisitive performer whose fresh approach to standard repertory, and masterful understanding, performance and commitment to works by living composers, make him one of today’s most dynamic young concert artists.

Winston maintains an active performing schedule.  In demand as a concerto soloist, he has appeared with orchestras such as l’Orchestre National de Lille, l’Orchestre Symphonique d’Orléans, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the CBC Radio Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra, La Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia, the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, and the Kalistos Chamber Orchestra, among others. 

In recent seasons, he has appeared in recital at the National Arts Centre of Canada, the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Carnegie-Weill and Merkin Recital Halls, the Kennedy Center, the Kravis Center, and the “Cicle Grans Solistes” in Spain.  In France, Winston has performed extensively and performed in venues such as the Salle Cortot, in Lille’s Festival Rencontre Robert Casadesus, the Messiaen Festival, and IRCAM’s prestigious Agora Festival.  In 2006, he was on tour in eastern Ontario and Quebec, under the auspices of Jeunesses Musicales.  An accomplished chamber musician, he regularly performs with his wife, Minghuan Xu as Duo Diorama.  His 2007-2008 season includes tours of British Columbia and Ontario (Duo Diorama), a 10-city solo recital tour of the Prairie provinces (through Prairie Debut), a return engagement at IRCAM, and his debut appearance with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra.

Winston is dedicated to the premiering and commissioning of works by new young composers as well as established masters.  He has collaborated with composers including William Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Brian Ferneyhough, George Bright Sheng, Christian Wolff, and John Zorn.  He is also a core member of the new music ensemble Brave New Works.
Already a prolific recording artist, Choi’s debut CD, the complete piano works of Elliott Carter (l’Empreinte Digitale in France) was given 5 stars by BBC Music Magazine.  He has also recorded 2 CDs of the piano music of Jacques Lenot for the Intrada label, having won the Grand Prix du Disque from l’Académie Charles Cros for Volume I.  He can also be heard on the Arktos, Crystal Records, QuadroFrame labels.

Winston obtained both his Bachelor and Master Degrees at Indiana University, and his Doctorate of Music at Northwestern University.  He studied with Vivienne Bailey, James Tweedie, Menahem Pressler, and Ursula Oppens.  In 2006, he was Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano at Oberlin Conservatory.  He is currently on the faculty at Bowling Green State University.