Deanna H. Choi

Biography

A classically-trained violinist, Choi completed her ARCT Performance Diploma and received the National Gold Medal upon convocation from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She subsequently studied behavioural neuroscience at Queen’s University and completed an honours thesis in music cognition. She presented her research findings at national conferences, published papers, and was a featured speaker at TEDxQueens. During her undergraduate studies, Choi started composing and designing for student theatre productions and was bitten by the proverbial theatre bug.
Choi relocated to Toronto after completing her studies and has since merged her passions for storytelling, performance, and understanding human psychology into the medium of sound design. She designs and composes across Canada, for theatre companies including the Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage, and Soulpepper, amongst others.

Choi is committed to teaching theatrical sound design, in particular advocating for women, non-binary, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), LGBTQ2S+, and gender minority individuals. She has taught seminars and workshops at the National Theatre School of Canada, University of British Columbia, McGill University, Shad Valley International, and the Heifetz Institute in Staunton, VA. She is actively involved in mentorship and outreach for organizations including Project: Humanity, Sistema Toronto, the Paprika Festival, Artists Mentoring Youth (AMY) Project, and Neptune Theatre’s Chrysalis Apprentice Program.

Choi studied violin with Jonathan Crow (Toronto Symphony), Tibor Vaghy (Vaghy String Quartet), Jerry Csaba (NAC), and the late Kenneth Perkins (Orford Quartet), and has performed extensively as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral musician. Choi co-founded the Badass Brahms Chamber Collective, a non-profit ensemble that makes chamber music accessible and relevant to new audiences.