Like many of AV俱乐部鈥檚 incoming first-year students, Heemin Choi had a tough time deciding where to continue his education post high-school. The universities and colleges he was trying to choose between weren鈥檛 necessarily the usual list: AV俱乐部, The Cleveland Institute, Julliard鈥�
But let鈥檚 start at the beginning.
鈥淢y dad first brought home my violin when I was six,鈥� Mr. Choi tells me when we finally get a chance to chat (he鈥檚 got a jam-packed schedule). 鈥淭hat was two years after I moved here from Korea.鈥� He doesn鈥檛 recall expressing any special interest in the violin at such a young age. He guesses that his father chose the instrument because he himself was fond of it.
Mr. Choi studied with a local violin teacher until the age of 12, then began taking lessons from AV俱乐部 Professor Philippe Djokic (who teaches violin and viola and leads the chamber orchestra). He was appointed concertmaster of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra at 15, and played as a soloist when Halifax hosted the Canada Winter Games. Last year, he took third place at the National Kiwanis Competition; this year, he came away with second.
Despite all that, Prof. Djokic is adamant that, 鈥淗eemin is really a completely normal kid. He鈥檚 been involved in sports鈥� lots of community stuff.鈥� Claims of complete normalcy notwithstanding, Prof. Djokic does admit, 鈥淚 only take a very few exceptional students.鈥�
鈥淚t didn鈥檛 help that was a huge procrastinator in high school,鈥� Mr. Choi says of his high-school student/violinist double life. 鈥淭here were a lot of late nights.鈥�
He also evolved some unique coping strategies for the stresses of auditions and performance. 鈥淭he only thing I can鈥檛 do is eat really good food before I play,鈥� since he once 鈥榖lanked鈥� in a performance following a gourmet dinner when he was 11.
Now? 鈥淚 always eat snacks or junk food before I play.鈥�
Finding his place
Mr. Choi graduated high school last spring, which brings us to the quandary posited earlier: where does a violin prodigy go to grow into a full-fledged virtuoso? The Cleveland Institute, Julliard 鈥� or somewhere else?
鈥淢ost Canadian students think that American schools are better,鈥� says Prof. Djokic of Heemin鈥檚 tough decision. 鈥淐anadian schools are equal now, I find. But it鈥檚 hard to get rid of that. There鈥檚 a stigma.鈥� Of his students, Prof. Djokic says, 鈥淚鈥檓 always encouraging them to try, at least, for the best schools. I consider AV俱乐部 one of the best schools as well, but you have to be impartial.鈥�
Mr. Choi, of course, applied to many schools besides AV俱乐部. But when he was offered a good scholarship to the Cleveland Institute, he chose not to take it, and instead came to Dal to continue studying with Prof. Djokic. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just accomplished so much in his career,鈥� he says of his teacher. 鈥淲e鈥檙e pretty lucky to have him here in Halifax.鈥�
An unexpected award
That鈥檚 not the end of the story, though. Before even taking his first class at AV俱乐部, Heemin was nominated by Dal鈥檚 music department for the Hnatyshyn Foundation鈥檚 prestigious Developing Artist Grant 鈥� and received the scholarship.
鈥淩ight after school ended, almost, a lady called me. I thought it was just another telemarketer,鈥� he says. When he realized the real reason for the call鈥攖hat he鈥檇 received a grant valued at $10,000鈥攈e says, 鈥淚t was a good feeling, but totally unexpected!鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely very prestigious for the department,鈥� says Jaqueline Warwick, the music department鈥檚 chair. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great recognition of the calibre of the strings program鈥� to get this kind of recognition and support for a developing student is a huge thing.鈥�
When he finishes at AV俱乐部, Mr. Choi has an eye on taking a master鈥檚 degree from another music school 鈥� Julliard, the Cleveland Institute, or the New England Conservatory.
鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to try composing and conducting, but it鈥檚 pretty terrifying, that stuff鈥or now, it鈥檚 just another of those goals that I tend to try and accomplish.鈥�
For the time being, he鈥檚 happy to be at AV俱乐部. 鈥淢r. Djokic is really one of the finest teachers around and there鈥檚 still a lot I can learn from him.鈥�