By Tori Stafford

Posted 32 minutes ago

She may be only 19 years old, but Deanna Choi has obtained a status musicians the world over work decades to achieve.

A second-year psychology student at Queen’s University from Kingston, Choi recently became an associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Her achievement doesn’t end there. Choi has also been awarded the 2011 Gold Medal for scoring the top mark in Canada on her exam, which was in violin performance.

Choi’s scores beat those of the more than 100,000 Canadians who take the exam annually.

“It was kind of surprising,” Choi said modestly of her exam results.

“I came out with the feeling that it went decently, but I never expected that.”

The final examination in this case is an hour-long concert performance. Students are given a syllabus of musical compositions from which to choose that highlight different styles, composers and techniques. They then perform their chosen pieces and are graded on them.

Choi began her training on violin at the age of five. She only practised half an hour a day at that time, she said, but by the time she was 11, practice took up an hour of her life on a daily basis.

Now, Choi said, practice can be up to three hours daily before major performances or exams, excluding rehearsals with the Kingston Symphony, with whom Choi has performed since 2008.

Being a full-time university student while studying for her Conservatory exam leaves little time for socializing.

“Lately, rehearsal has sort of been my social life,” Choi said with a slight laugh.

Choi’s success landed her a gig unlike those with the Kingston Symphony or the National Youth Orchestra, with whom Choi has also performed.

One of three Canadians awarded the 2011 Gold Medal from the conservatory, Choi graced the stage of Koerner Hall Sunday to perform to a sold-out crowd of 1,135. The performance was part of the conservatory’s formal medal ceremony and convocation.

“It’s a privilege, really, to be recognized like that,” Choi said.

It certainly is. According to Dr. Jennifer Snow, chief academic officer for Royal Conservatory examinations, Choi’s achievement is a big deal.

“It’s actually the national gold medal that she’s won, which meant that she is the top violin student in the program in the whole country,” Snow said.

“Not only did she achieve the mark in her performance exam but, also, she has completed all the academic subjects that go along with that diploma, and that is really, extremely impressive.”

Snow described the characteristics a student needs to achieve what Choi has in ways the modest Choi never would herself.

“Very dedicated, clearly a wonderful high achiever and a very well-educated young musician,” Snow said.

The conservatory diploma is a mark of musical excellence recognized around the globe. In Canada, all registered music teachers are required to have the diploma, and Carnegie Hall chose the Royal Conservatory’s program to partner with in the United States.

Getting to that diploma is a journey only the truly dedicated musician will take. Choi explained her journey, and what makes mastering a musical instrument difficult.

“The thing about studying music is that it’s a long-term commitment, and you don’t see immediate results, so you have to be patient,” she said, “and you have to realize that it’s a slow process, that you have to be willing to put the time and effort into it, and make sacrifices.”

Choi also pointed to her parents, teachers and accompanists throughout the years as having been integral in her achievement.

“Everyone around me enabled me to do this, so I was lucky in that regard,” she said.

As she prepared to take the stage and share her talents with more than 1,000 music enthusiasts in Toronto, Choi said this past weekend’s performance was one she was going to try to enjoy.

“I’ve prepared these pieces for so long … I’m just telling myself that I’m going to go out there and enjoy myself and present this work to the audience, and hopefully they can enjoy it as well,” Choi said, noting that the interaction with the audience is the real payoff of performing.

Diploma in hand, Choi said achieving the highest mark in Canada for violin performance simply added to the sense of fulfillment.

“It’s really rewarding when you get recognized for the effort that you’ve put into something,” said Choi.

“In that sense, this is sort of the icing on the cake.”

tstafford@thewhig.com

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