Edward Choi

Edward Choi is a successful musician and teacher in Korea but because of his experience at the University of Toronto, in his heart "I will always be a Torontonian."

Edward Choi is the principal percussionist of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and performed with the orchestras of Radio France, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. But it was in Toronto where his aspirations to become a musician began.

“U of T has a great program for percussion students because it is so diverse. There’s just a different level of camaraderie and cultural diversity,” Choi says. “I have lived in many cities but Toronto is my favourite.”

Choi has performed on tours in North America, Europe and Asia and can be heard on Deutsche Grammophon.  He also teaches in Korea at Kyunghee University and Hanyang University in Seoul.

“As a second generation Korean-Canadian going to U of T was something I aspired to even before considering going to music school,” he said.  “The reputation of the school itself was well-known to me since I was young.”

It is hard to calculate how valuable “going to my own home town university is and getting to study with such international reputed faculty.” Wherever he travels, he is asked where he studied or who he studied with. He tells them about the “world-class” university they should consider if they want to travel the same path that he did.

Published Dec. 9, 2013.