Teen to share his passion with Nova Sinfonia

By Yvette d'Entremont
The Weekly News
BEDFORD - Bedford teen Heemin Choi will share his passion for the violin as the featured guest artist at a Nova Sinfonia concert presented by String Music Atlantic and being held at St. Matthew's United Church in Halifax on Jan. 26.
The Grade 11 Charles P. Allen High School student began playing the violin at the tender age of six.
"I didn't have any specific interest before hand. My dad brought home a violin one day and said let's try this out," Choi recalled. "I started lessons and it went from there. I think it became a real passion when I was around nine and I started to do national competitions."
Choi was off to a good start. He won the Canadian Music Competition in 2004 at the age of nine. The previous year, he'd been first runner-up in his age category. In recent years, he has focused more of his energy on provincial and local competitions.
Choi was one of the youngest Nova Scotia Talent Trust scholarship recipients in the award's 60-year history when he received that honour in 2005. The 16-year-old has also received scholarships from the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts AlumniAssociation, the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers Association, String Music Atlantic and the Canadian Music Competition.
Choi joined the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra in 2005, and is serving his third consecutive year as Concertmaster.
"I'm the leader of the violin section, I try to help keep things together. It's not much, really," said a modest Choi, who also excels academically as an International Baccalaureate student.
When his violin teacher (Dalhousie University music Professor Philippe Djokic) first told him Nova Sinfonia wanted him to perform as their guest this month, Choi was thrilled.
"I thought it was very exciting. The experience of being able to play with an orchestra is different from your every day performances and practicing," Choi said.
This will be Choi's third time performing with Nova Sinfonia. He joined them once at the age of eight, and again in 2007 when he won a Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra concerto competition.
Choi hopes to pursue music studies at university, most likely in the United States. His goal is to eventually turn his passion into a career.
"I guess 20 years from now the best case scenario for me would be touring the world playing violin," he said.
The upcoming Nova Sinfonia concert program includes Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Bizet's Symphony No. 1.
"The concerto I'm playing with Nova Sinfonia is one of my favourite concertos for sure," Choi said. "Although I haven't played it yet, I also enjoy Brahm's violin concerto. But I don't think I'll get to playing that for awhile."
The Jan. 26 concert at St. Matthew's United Church is under the direction of guest conductor Hok Kwan. Regular tickets are $15 each, $10 for seniors, and $5 for students with I.D.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance from members of Nova Sinfonia and from The Bowed Instrument Shop within the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts (open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.). The show starts at 7:30 p.m.
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca