Calgary’s Katherine Chi has already soared to dizzying heights in her young career. Not even finished with her scholastic studies (she’s working toward her doctorate at the New England Conservatory in Boston) she has nonetheless performed all over North America with lauded recitals in New York, Minneapolis, Vancouver, and Philadelphia. Enjoying her success, she’s also very humble about it.

"I’ve worked really hard but I think a lot of luck has been involved," she admits. "After winning the Honens competition in Calgary and getting a manager in New York, everything has just had to with playing concerts and the reputation that I get from them."

Prodigious from an early age, she gave her first solo recital at age nine before being accepted to the esteemed Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (arguably the world’s most supportive school for talented young musicians).

"Curtis was an amazing place. I really thrived on the high level of playing there and the atmosphere of people who really wanted to excel at what they were doing."

Chi accompanies the orchestra as they move into the Winspear this weekend after a successful Symphony Under The Sky festival. They’ll kick off another season of the Masters concert series with Bill Eddins conducting her performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1.

Not as well known as Tchaikovsky’s other works, it remains an essential piece and Chi insists that people will recognize at least some of it.

"The very beginning of it has been used in films and many commercials. It’s not as popular as some of his pieces but it is still one of the most popular piano concertos."

While she doesn’t want to get pigeonholed for playing just one style of music, she does have a soft spot for Russian sounds.

"It has a very distinct, folk flavour to it for the most part. The pieces are difficult to play but it’s never just for show. If you take the whole sweep of the music, one can sense the range of emotions and the power to it."

The full grandeur and passion of romantic Russian orchestral music will be on display as the program also features Eddins conducting Shostakovich’s cinematic and sensational Age Of Gold Suite and the second half of the program featuring Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances.