Tonia Ko introduces recent compositions which feature creative transcriptions of field recordings and found sound. She will discuss the various technologies involved, orchestration tools and techniques, as well as the continued influence of the long-standing bubble wrap practice “Breath, Contained” on her creative work.

Tonia Ko’s creative evolution is largely guided by three conceptual pillars: texture, physical movement, and the relationship between melody and memory. These ideas permeate her work across a variety of media—from instrumental solos and large ensemble pieces, to improvisations and sound installations. No matter how traditional or experimental the medium, Ko’s work reveals a core that is at once whimsical, questioning, and lyrical.

Recipient of a 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship, Ko has been commissioned by leading soloists and ensembles from a broad range of the music scene. She recently collaborated with Riot Ensemble, Tangram Collective, Grossman Ensemble, and Spektral Quartet. Her work has been performed at prominent venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, LSO St. Luke’s, and featured at the Hertzbreakerz Sound Spaces Festival and Thailand International Composition Festival.

Ko has received grants and awards from the Fromm and Barlow Foundations, Chamber Music America, American Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as residencies at MacDowell, Copland House, and MASS MoCA. She served from 2015 to 2017 as the Composer-in-Residence for Young Concert Artists.