Haim Choi

German-born South Korean violinist Haim studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music as an Orpheus Scholar, where she was awarded full scholarships to attain BMus (1st Class Hons), MPerf (Distinction) and Artist Diploma in Performance.

In 2022 Haim was awarded the prestigious Tagore Gold Medal presented by King Charles III, and was invited to perform at Buckingham Palace.

In the same year she has performed Bach Concerto for Two Violins as well as Sarasate Navarra with Maxim Vengerov, from whom she has received regular tutelage between 2018 and 2022.

As a soloist Haim has given numerous concerto performances ranging from Mozart, Saint Saens, Tchaikovsky to Arnold, with Oxford Sinfonia, Thames Philharmonia, LGT Young Soloists, Seoul National Symphony and RCM Orchestras.

Haim is passionate about collaborating with like-minded musicians and ensembles of all sizes, and is often found leading & directing various chamber ensemble projects across the UK and Europe. A recent review described her in this role as “an outstanding young musician of great promise, technically assured and a vibrant presence on stage who ‘dances’ her music as beautifully as she plays it.”

In the last decade she has regularly appeared on the Wigmore stage performing core chamber music repertoire written for duo, string quartet, piano quintet, string octet, as well as unconducted chamber orchestra. Haim also enjoys traveling to the far reaches of the country as well as performing at various festivals and concert venues abroad.

Haim is the founding member and 1st violinist of the award-winning Salomé Quartet, with whom she enjoys many versatile collaborations with living composers, visual artists, educationalists and theatre creatives - the quartet was featured on stage in the critically acclaimed production "Dr Semmelweis" (London West End 2023, Bristol Old Vic 2022), in which Haim also took on the role of Music Director, having worked closely since the 2021 devising process with Tom Morris OBE (director), Adrian Sutton (composer) and a multidisciplinary cast led by Sir Mark Rylance (co-author and actor in the titular role).

Also an avid orchestral musician, Haim is a principal player with the Glyndebourne Sinfonia (principal 1st violin/co-leader), Sinfonia Cymru (guest leader/director), London Chamber Orchestra (guest principal 2nd violin) and Bath Festival Orchestra (principal 2nd violin), amongst others. She also regularly performs with the UK's most prominent orchestras such as the London Symphony, BBC Symphony, Philharmonia, Aurora, English National Opera Orchestras, as well as chamber orchestras such as Britten Sinfonia and Manchester Camerata.

She has previously won places for the LSO String Experience, BBC SO Pathway, Glyndebourne Pit Perfect and ENO Evolve schemes, as well as Philharmonia MMSF and ENO Violin Fellowships.

Haim was appointed Cultural Ambassador of UNESCO Korea, and has enjoyed teaching violin and viola at the Yehudi Menuhin School, her alma mater, as well as Eton College. Haim was also invited as the strings adjudicator at Abertawe Festival for Young Musicians for two consecutive years, where she has both adjudicated and given public masterclasses to many young musicians in Wales.

Haim feels deeply indebted to many inspiring musical mentors including professors Itzhak Rashkovsky, Gaby Lester and the Sacconi Quartet.