B i o g r a p h y
Canadian pianist Winston Choi is Professor of Piano and Program Director of Piano at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. A dynamic concert artist, he gained international recognition as Laureate of the 2003 Honens Piano Competition and winner of France’s 2002 Concours International de Piano 20e siècle d’Orléans. Known for his imaginative interpretations of standard repertoire and passionate advocacy for contemporary music, Choi is in demand worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator.
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As a concerto soloist, Choi has performed with orchestras across North America and Europe, including the Alabama Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, CBC Radio Orchestra, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, East Texas Symphony, New Philharmonic, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, Richmond Symphony, and the Victoria Symphony, among others. He has also appeared internationally with La Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia, l’Orchestre National de Lille, and l’Orchestre Symphonique d’Orléans.
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Choi’s recital engagements have brought him to major venues such as Carnegie-Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum, the Glenn Gould Studio, and the National Arts Centre of Canada. He is also active in Europe, performing in Spain’s “Cicle Grand Solistes” and at festivals and halls throughout France, including the Salle Cortot and the Messiaen Festival.
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A versatile chamber musician, Choi has collaborated with the Aeolus, Avalon, Pacifica, Philomusica, and Spektral Quartets. He tours regularly with the Civitas Ensemble, as Duo Diorama (with his wife, violinist MingHuan Xu), and Trio Diorama (joined by cellist Nick Photinos). In August 2024, he appeared with baritone Matthias Goerne at the Ravinia Festival.
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Choi is a tireless champion of new music, having premiered and commissioned over 100 works. His recordings span a wide range of repertoire and labels. His debut album, the complete piano music of Elliott Carter (l’Empreinte Digitale), received 5 stars from BBC Music Magazine. His recordings of Jacques Lenot (Intrada) earned the Grand Prix du Disque from l’Académie Charles Cros. His recent release of piano music by Thomas Adès appears on the Buisonne label. Other labels include BIS, Cedille, Albany, Aeolian Classics, and Naxos. Choi is a core member of Ensemble Dal Niente and a frequent performer on the Chicago Symphony’s MusicNOW series.​
He earned degrees from Indiana University (BM, MM) and Northwestern University (DM), studying with Vivienne Bailey, James Tweedie, Menahem Pressler, and Ursula Oppens. Formerly on faculty at the Oberlin Conservatory and Bowling Green State University, he currently also teaches at the Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago and the New Music School. An accomplished teacher, he is also in demand as a master class clinician and lecturer on a variety of pedagogical topics. Two of his presentations: “Towards a More Organic Approach to Phrasing at the Piano” and “Symmetrical Inversion: A Pianist’s Journey Towards Ambidexterity” have been presented nationally and internationally at conferences.