Violinist Nikki Chooi will begin as Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra next month…but first he stops by the San Juans!

Nikki Chooi, one of Time for Three’s two violinists, has accepted the Concert Master position with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, but will not leave the trio until after he plays at the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival.

Time for Three opens our Nineteenth Season on Lopez Island August 4 at 5:30 pm and kicks off the 2016 Festival Season on Orcas August 5 and 6 at 7:30 and 5:30 pm, respectively.

Come see Nikki on stage while you can; the next time you see him at Orcas Center, he will be on the Big Screen as part of The Met: Live in HD broadcasts!

Time for Three, whose other members are Nick Kendall, violin, and Ranaan Meyer, double bass, specializes in original genre-defying arrangements, fusing classical artistry and tradition with pop hits and folk staples. All three members of Time for Three graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music; the trio has been featured in a recent full-length special on PBS, has appeared at Carnegie Hall and on Dancing with the Stars.

Sir Simon Rattle, chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, said about Time for Three, “Simply put, they’re a knockout! Three benevolent monsters – monsters of ability and technique surely. But also conveyers of an infectious joy that I find both touching and moving. I would recommend them not only for entertainment value, but also for anyone looking to see how all types of American music can develop, when life and passion such as this are breathed into it.”

 Read more about Nikki Chooi’s new adventure in the New York Times and the Violin Channel.

We exciting to start our Festival season with Time for Three!