Ko, a native of
Taichung, is himself a graduate of NTNU. In 1980 he enrolled at the
Berlin University of the Arts (
Germany) where he studied composition with F. M. Beyer. He joined the NTNU faculty upon his return to Taiwan in 1985. In 2002 he received Taiwan's prestigious Wan San-Lien Music Award. From 2004 to 2008 he served as chair of the NTNU Department of Music. Ko's compositions display a cosmopolitan blend of
European and
Asian timbres and techniques. He often calls upon performers to switch concepts within a single piece, sounding first like an instrument from nineteenth-century
Austria and the next like an instrument from ancient
Tibet. Compositions by Ko that have drawn particular acclaim include the
Quintet II (1992) for chamber ensemble,
The Crying Mermaid (1993) for orchestra, the imposing three-movement
Dream of the Year 2000 for chorus and orchestra, and ''Overture to Taiwan's New Century'' (2003) for orchestra. In 2004 three of his major orchestral works—the symphony
Dream of the Year 2000, the overture ''Taiwan's New Century
and The Crying Mermaid
—were featured in an NTNU tour program entitled Rondo Capriccio''. The works were performed by
Apo Hsu conducting the NTNU Symphony Orchestra. In 2007 the three works were featured again in the orchestra's
American tour program entitled
Formosa Dreaming. The works were performed by
Apo Hsu conducting the NTNU Symphony Orchestra and Formosa Festival Choir prepared by
Huang Tsui-yu. The tour program also featured the music of Taiwan composer
Tyzen Hsiao and included four soloists:
Hsieh Meng-chieh (soprano),
Yü Lee (alto),
Lin Chung-chi (tenor), and
Chang Yu-hsin (bass). The premier of Ko's
2-28 Requiem took place soon after, in April 2008. This performance was also by Apo Hsu and the NTNU Symphony, In 2008 Ko observed that "Taiwanese poems are elegant and boast unique intonation." His current interest, he announced, lies in composing "grand works that combine Taiwanese song with Western orchestration" that "integrate the orchestral sonority with Taiwanese native features." ==Works==