VC Artist Nikki Chooi Appointed Concertmaster of The Santa Fe Opera

The Canadian violinist will step into the role in the summer of 2025

The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, in New Mexico, has announced that VC Artist violinist Nikki Chooi will be its newest concertmaster.

"Super excited to collaborate with world-class singers and musicians and immerse myself in the unique magic of Santa Fe — one of my absolute favorite places," Chooi wrote on his social media.

This new role will be in addition to serving as the Concertmaster of the Grammy-award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. As Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra during the 2016-2017 season, Nikki worked closely with singers and conductors including Renee Fleming, Susanna Phillips, Elīna Garanča, Eric Owens, Fabio Luisi, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

As a guest concertmaster, he has performed with the Boston Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Houston Symphony, Sydney Symphony, and Macao Orchestra.

He has recorded for Naxos, Beau Fleuve, Atoll, and Decca labels, and performs regularly with his brother, VC Artist violinist Timothy Chooi. He has also collaborated with esteemed artists including JoAnn Falletta, Yo-Yo Ma, Clayton Stephenson, Michelle Cann, and Time for Three.

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

Nikki performs on a 1713 Stradivarius graciously provided by the company CANIMEX INC. from Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, a 1749 G.B Guadagnini on extended loan through the Stradivari Society of Chicago, and a 2016 Joseph Curtin. Nikki proudly endorses Thomastik-Infeld strings.