Violinist Timothy Chooi Masters Tchaikovsky

Hawaiʻi Public Radio | By Craig DeSilva

Published July 25, 2025 at 3:29 PM HST

Violinist Timothy Chooi (left) with Evening Concert host Craig DeSilva (right).

When Canadian violinist Timothy Chooi first started learning Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, he realized why many violinists called it “too long and unplayable.” But after years of working on it, the concerto is now his go to for concerts. Chooi spoke to Evening Concert host Craig DeSilva about his debut with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra for the Tchaikovsky Spectacular concert Saturday, July 26 at the Waikīkī Shell. Chooi also talks about learning how to shaka for the first time and what he might play for a hana hou.

Classical Music Conversations

Craig DeSilva

Craig DeSilva is glad to be playing recorded music on the air instead of playing for a live audience on stage as did when he studied piano. He began piano lessons when he was a child and continued piano studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (where he majored in broadcast journalism and minored in music) under the late Peter Coraggio.

See stories by Craig DeSilva