Welcome to the
Art of Four
Chamber Music Program
Art of Four is a new string quartet program based in the Greater Toronto Area, offering immersive, ensemble-based training for all musicians. Founded by Joanne Yesol Choi in collaboration with Noa Sarid of the award-winning Dior Quartet, Art of Four merges conservatory-level instruction with a fresh, youth-driven approach to learn the craft.
We are creating a space where high-achieving young musicians, beginners, and even adult amateurs can experience the joy, discipline, and deep collaborative spirit of chamber music — all within a professional but welcoming environment.
Our Mission
To foster chamber music excellence through hands-on quartet training that empowers young musicians to grow artistically, collaborate deeply, and build confidence — all in a high-level yet relatable setting. We aim to share the joy, discipline, and love in the art of string quartet playing.
-
Artistic Director & Chamber Music FacultyKorean-Canadian cellist Joanne Yesol Choi, recipient of the Canada Council’s 2025 Virginia Parker Prize and named one of CBC’s 30 Under 30 Canadian Musicians, is a distinguished artist in the chamber music world. She is a founding member of the Dior Quartet, an ensemble praised for its artistic depth and cultural diversity.
The quartet has won the 2023 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Koerner Hall, Stanford’s Bing Concert Hall, Bravo! Vail, Tippet Rise Art Center, and the Banff International String Quartet Festival. The group has also been a finalist at the Banff and Melbourne International String Quartet Competitions.
Beyond performance, Joanne is deeply committed to mentorship and access. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Solegio Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to making high-level music education more accessible, and the Art of Four Chamber Music Program, which nurtures young string players through intensive quartet training.
Joanne has served as a guest lecturer at Stanford University and the University of Toronto, and was on faculty at the PRIZM International Chamber Music Festival and the Mostly Modern Festival USA. She has coached at the Phil and Eli Taylor Academy and Oscar Peterson School of Music, and served as an adjudicator for the 2023 Don Banks Music Awards. A former Taylor Academy student, she returned to the RCM in 2021 as a Rebanks Family Fellow.
She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Outside of music, she debuted as a children’s book author with Blob the Colorful Star, collaborated with her mother Hyunah Yi, and appeared in Netflix’s Bet as a special skills actor.
Meet the Team
-
Program Advisor & Chamber Music FacultyNoa Sarid is the first violinist and a founding member of the award-winning Dior Quartet, winner of the Concert Artists Guild, Chesapeake, and Fischoff International Chamber Music Competitions. The quartet, known for its innovative blend of contemporary and classical repertoire, made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2024 and has performed at renowned festivals such as Banff International String Quartet Festival, Bravo! Vail, Tippet Rise Art Center, and Music Toronto.
A Naxos Records artist, Noa is a member of the Canadian Chamber Orchestra and has collaborated with the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, Art of Time Ensemble, Akpik Theatre, Gryphon Trio, and Kronos Quartet.
Noa is a dedicated teacher who highlights the values of empathy, responsibility, and communication with her students. Noa teaches violin and viola at the Oscar Peterson School of the Royal Conservatory and the Lane School of Music in Toronto, with vast experience conducting violin, chamber music, and orchestral masterclasses around the world.
Noa studied at the Israel Conservatory of Music in Tel Aviv with Prof. Nava Milo. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and a Master’s degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with Prof. Roi Shiloah, Prof. Simin Ganatra, and the Pacifica Quartet. She recently completed a Rebanks Fellowship and a three-year residency at the Glenn Gould School, and is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Toronto with Prof. Jonathan Crow.
Noa has been supported by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, the Ronen Foundation, and the Lyons Foundation.
Noa performs on an Austrian violin generously loaned by Eyal Hofmekler.