Yip Wai Chow

Violinist Yip Wai Chow, recently honored with the Adolfo Betti Prize and the Verdehr Trio Award, is known for his artistic and highly evocative approach to music-making, making him a highly sought-after chamber musician in both the United States and Hong Kong. He has been an avid chamber musician and a pivotal member of several ensembles, including the award-winning Cong Quartet (2020-22), Montclaire String Quartet (2019-20), Klotski Trio, Fermata Chamber Soloists, and Musicus Soloists Hong Kong. Yip Wai has collaborated with renowned musicians such as Inon Barnatan, Julio Elizalde, Jennifer Culp, Colleen Lee, the Ying Quartet, and Trey Lee.
As a soloist, Yip Wai has performed with the Eastman Philharmonia, Fermata Chamber Soloists, Butler Philharmonic, and the Hong Kong Medical Association Orchestra. He has also served as a guest principal player in the Ohio Valley Symphony, Hong Kong String Orchestra, Gustav Mahler Orchestra of Hong Kong, CØDA Ensemble, and festival orchestras at the Colorado College Music Festival, the Heifetz Institute, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Music Academy of the West, where he was selected as a fellow sponsored with full scholarships.

Beyond his performing career, Yip Wai is also an educator. He shares his musical journey as an Artist-in-Residence at various universities, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong and West Virginia State University. At these institutions, he engages with students by conducting chamber music masterclasses, collaborating on performances, and providing consultations on students' compositions.
Yip Wai's music-making is heavily influenced by his mentors, including Wonhee Bae and Dimitri Murrath of the Esmé Quartet, Robin Scott of the Ying Quartet, and Ayano Ninomiya, Charles Castleman, Marc Danel, and Luc-Marie Aguera. His dedication to music has been recognized with prizes from numerous competitions, including the Kreutzer Music Competition, the French Music Competition, the MTNA National Competition, the Brookline Concerto Competition, and the Japan-Hong Kong International Competition. These accolades were achieved during his studies at the Netherlands String Quartet Academie (NSKA), his Master’s degree at the New England Conservatory, and his Bachelor’s degree at the Eastman School of Music.