Sylvia Chow – violin

The Kenneth and Connie Marshall Chair

Sylvia Chow

Violinist and pianist Sylvia Chow, winner of the Hong Kong Music festival in 1990 and the Vancouver Kay Meek Competition in 2000, participated the 2003 Sarasate International Violin Competition in Spain. She has performed in Hong Kong, China, Australia, USA, Canada, Spain and Italy. She was also featured on the Hong Kong music television program. She has performed as a soloist with the Hong Kong Shatin Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra.

She participated in the Oberlin-Casalmaggiore International Festival on full scholarship and took part in master classes under Mr. Sidney Harth, Sir Vladimir Spivakov, Mr. Michael Ma, Ms. Anne Shih, and Mr. Taras Gabora.

Sylvia Chow was the assistant concertmaster of Vancouver Island Symphony from 2005 to 2008 and member of Hong Kong Sinfonietta from 2008 to 2014. She has played with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra since 2017.

She began studying the violin at the age of five with her grandfather, Mr. En-Ching Chow, and piano with her father, Mischa Chau. She then studied at the Hong Kong Arts and Performing Arts under Ms. Alice Waton. In 1995, she attended the Central Music Conservatory to study with Prof. Yao-ji Lin. In 1997 she entered the Idyllwild Arts Academy on full scholarship and studied with Prof. Alice Schoenfeld from the University of Southern California. In 2006, Sylvia earned her Bachelor of Music degree and Artist Diploma from the Vancouver Academy of Music under Prof. Taras Gabora.