VC Artist Nikki Chooi Announced as New Thomastik-Infeld Artist

The violin soloist, concertmaster, and educator is joining the family of artists who play and endorse Thomastik-Infeld's strings

Canadian violinist and VC Artist Nikki Chooi has recently been named the newest member of the Thomastik-Infeld Artist Family.

"Thrilled to be a part of the Thomastik Infeld family and proud to endorse their world-class strings!" Chooi wrote on social media. "I have used a variety of Thomastik Infeld strings my entire career. My recent favourites are the new Dynamo sets — they are wonderfully sensitive to every nuance of the bow and I am able to easily transition between blending in orchestra and projecting as a soloist. I would highly encourage every violinist to give these strings a try!"

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School, Chooi is a former prize recipient at the Queen Elisabeth and Tchaikovsky Competitions and was awarded First Prize at the Montreal Symphony's ManuLife Competition, the Klein International Strings Competition, and the Michael Hill International Violin Competition.

Nikki is currently Concertmaster of the Grammy-award winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under Music Director JoAnn Falletta. Previously concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, he has appeared as a guest concertmaster with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Houston Symphony, and the Sydney Symphony.

In 2022, Chooi made his debut at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium as a soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic, and at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall with Orchestra NOW. He also made solo appearances with orchestras such as the Vancouver Symphony, Puerto Rico Symphony, National Taiwan Symphony Festival Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.

Chooi is also a former member of genre-breaking ensemble Time for Three and is on the violin faculty at the University of Buffalo and the University of Ottawa.

Other violinists on Thomastik-Infeld's roster include Christian Tetzlaff, Hilary Hahn, and James Ehnes.

Based in the heart of Vienna, Thomastik-Infeld has been developing and producing strings with the vastest range of tone colors since 1919, for bowed, plucked, and world music instruments.

Their new platform, stringtelligence.com, was created to help improve musicians' playing and instrument care. Using their over 100-year experience developing strings, the company's new online platform shares tips and tricks with string musicians.