Nikki Chooi

As someone who makes a living performing in front of live audiences, Nikki Chooi was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. When New York went into lockdown, his life as a concertmaster for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra came to a halt. That’s when he got to thinking about his future—and enrolled in Questrom’s Online MBA (OMBA).

As a concertmaster, Nikki is the leader/lead violinist of the orchestra, the one who translates through his playing what the conductor is showing to the rest of the orchestra. When he could no longer perform, Nikki was devastated. But fortunately, his orchestra quickly adapted to the crisis and began to reconnect with its audience, community, and patrons through livestream concerts. Other performing arts organizations across the country and around the world were not as fortunate.

“It was decimating to observe how the pandemic impacted the performing arts industry,” Nikki says. “Yet, it was also interesting to see how various organizations responded—some pivoted to digital means or branched into smaller ensembles and embraced strict COVID protocols, others were forced to cancel their entire season. It got me curious to understand how decisions were made and how these responses might affect each of them and the industry as a whole in the years to come.”

Nikki decided to earn an MBA.

Back in November 2020, when no one knew when things might get back to something resembling normal, Nikki knew an online MBA program made the most sense. And since he had no idea what his schedule would allow in the future, Questrom’s flexible option to complete one module at a time sealed the deal.

“Classical music is based heavily on tradition, which makes it unique and special,” Nikki says, “It is inspiring to see many innovative ideas come to fruition during COVID-19 and as we move forward out of this pandemic, I believe we should still keep pushing the envelope to incorporate new ways in presenting and consuming this timeless art form.”

“I wanted to learn about business from a non-arts perspective in hopes of finding ideas to bring back into the arts. So far, I’ve learned a lot from the professors and from the course itself, but the most value this MBA has to offer is learning, sharing ideas, and connecting with my fellow classmates. It is my dream to one day run a music festival or an arts center. I’m taking the steps to educate myself and learn from this pandemic to prepare for this role in the future.”

“I wanted to learn about business from a non-arts perspective in hopes of finding ideas to bring back into the arts.”

– Nikki Chooi