Biography

An accomplished solo and collaborative pianist, Yvonne Choi has had tremendous success working with both singers and instrumentalists in the Greater Toronto Area and Halton region. Winner of the WLU Concerto Competition, the Ken Murray Concerto Competition, and the Penderecki String Quartet Prize, her aptitude for solo and collaborative performance is evident.

Yvonne has had the privilege to perform as the featured soloist with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Wilfrid Laurier Symphony Orchestra, and Wilfrid Laurier Reading Orchestra. She regularly shares the stage with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with renowned organizations such as the Elmer Iseler Singers, Orpheus Choir of Toronto, Toronto Children’s Chorus, Toronto Chinese Orchestra, and Cambridge Symphony Orchestra. She has had the privilege to perform in Masterclasses for world class musicians such as Barbara Hannigan, Lawerence Lesser, Michael McMahon, the New Orford String Quartet, the Penderecki String Quartet, and the Chiara String Quartet to name a few.

Yvonne is passionate in community outreach as she is a firm advocate for inclusivity and unity. Using music as a communicative tool, Yvonne works with all ages to build accessibility around music. Yvonne is currently the Director of Music for Glen Abbey United Church in Oakville. She is also the current faculty pianist for National Music Camp of Canada. She was the Associate Music Director, Keyboardist, and Rehearsal Pianist for Sheridan College's production of First Drafts. Co-Music Director, Keyboardist and Vocal Coach for York University’s production of 9 to 5 the Musical. She was also the Music Director, Keyboardist and Conductor for Spirit Express’ Leap of Faith at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. Yvonne is one of the resident collaborative pianists with renowned choral ensembles such as the Oakville Choir for Children and Youth, and Resonance (Mississauga Festival Choir). She is a sought-after collaborative pianist, while also maintaining an active teaching studio, with students achieving awards of distinction.

Since the pandemic in 2020, Yvonne has found success in audio engineering and videography. She has been working closely with organizations such as OperaQTO, McMaster University, Glen Abbey United Church, Oakville Choir for Children and Youth, and Mississauga Festival Choir. She has also been producing music for her studio, as well as her own solo and collaborative career.

Building on her Bachelor of Music from Wilfrid Laurier University under the guidance of Leslie De’Ath, Yvonne completed her Masters in Collaborative Piano Performance under Lydia Wong from the University of Toronto. Throughout her continuing musical career, she has received coachings by renowned pedagogues such as Marietta Orlov, Steven Philcox, Jamie Parker, Shauna Rolston, and Joseph Johnson. Yvonne has been the recipient of many distinguished scholarships, notably the Richard Kehn Scholarship in recognition of being an outstanding student in the area of music performance, Ken Murray Scholarship, Lydia Wong Scholarship and the Penderecki String Quartet Prize.