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BIOGRAPHY
 

Dr Brian Chatpo Koo is a composer, violinist and conductor.  He studied violin and harmony at an early age in China and had worked as a violinist and later as a conductor in a municipal orchestra for ten years where he conducted and had led it with the Municipal Opera touring many major cities through China.  He moved to Hong Kong in 1981 and joined in the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra in the same year.  After seven years of service in the orchestra as a violinist and conductor he turned to composition.  He studied composition at the University of Hong Kong and the University of Sydney where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, Master of Philosophy degree, and Doctor of Philosophy degree.  In 1982 he received the University Conference Grant Award from the University of Hong Kong for the International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt, Germany.  He obtained his Licentiate diploma in composition from the Trinity College of Music, London.  He is a Fellow in composition (FTCL) of the College.

He has written a large number of works, ranging from works for orchestra, some with solo instruments or chorus, to many kinds of chamber ensemble, pieces for solo instruments, electro-acoustic music and voice.  His works have been performed and broadcast in many countries in Asia, Europe, Australia and North America.  Notable performances include those by the Accordes Quartet, Toronto, the Ensemble Kochi, Tokyo, the Ensemble Darmstadt,  the Zealian Ensemble, the Hong Kong Philharmonic orchestra, the Sendai Philharmonic orchestra, the Philippine Philharmonic orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony orchestra, Australia and the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra. His latest work, 'Symphonic Overture' commissioned by the Symphony Australia, ABC, was premiered and well received in June 1998.  He has just completed a chamber opera, commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival and he will conduct it during the Hong Kong Arts Festival '99.
 
He now lives in Sydney, Australia.
 

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LIST OF WORKS
 


Opera

THE TOMB OF THREE KINGS
chamber opera in one act  (1998) 50' - 60'
messo soprano, 2 tenors, bass,
1. 1. 1. - 1. 1. 1.-  3perc. - 1. 1. 1. 1. 1.
Commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival
Production will be on February 1999 during the Hong Kong Festival '99


Orchestral Works

RAINBOW
for wind orchestra  (1999) 20'
Commissioned by Hong Kong Symphonic Winds
15/1/2000 Hong Kong Symphonic Winds

LIKE DRAGONS FLYING AND PHOENIXES DANCING
for Chinese orchestra (1999) 12'

FANTASIA CONCERTANTE        
for solo piano and orchestra  (1998) 10'20"

SYMPHONIC OVERTURE        
for symphony orchestra (1997) 12'00"
2. 2. 2. 2.- 4. 2. 3. 1. -  2 perc.  - Strings
Commissioned by the Symphony Australia, ABC
25/6  98 Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

CAPRICCIO FESTIVO         
 for chamber orchestra (1997) 11'00"
1. 1. 1. 1. - 2. 1. 1. 1. - 2 perc. - 1. 1. 1. 1. 1.
4 & 5/5 1998, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

MIRAGE         
for orchestra (1996) 12'00
2. 2. 2. 2.- 2. 2. 0. 0. - 2 perc. -  strings
 Commissioned by the Hong Kong Composers' Guild, will be premiered in 1996 by the Hong  Kong Sinfonietta

MIRAGE (original version)        
for orchestra (1996) 12'00
2. 2. 2. 2.- 2. 2. 3. 1. - 4 perc. - strings

PIANO CONCERTO         
for solo piano and orchestra (1994) 15'00"
3. 3. 3. 3. - 4. 3. 3. 1. - 3 perc. - solo pno.- strings

AERIAL          
for orchestra (1994) 15'00"
3. 3. 3. 3. - 4. 3. 3. 1. - 5 perc. - 2 harps - strings
 Premiered in 18th Asian Composers League Music Festival '97, Manila, Philippines  by  the Philippine Philharmonic  Orchestra

YI           
for orchestra (1993) 18'00"
3. 3. 3. 3. - 6. 4. 3. 1. - 5 percu. - harp. - strings

LOUSHAN PASS        
for orchestra and choir  (1992) 20'00"
3. 3. 3. 3. - 6. 4. 3. 1. - 5 perc. - choir (SATB).- strings

RHAPSODY         
for solo violin and orchestra (1992) 15'00"
3. 3. 3. 3. - 4. 3. 3. 1. - 3 percu. 1 harp. 1 celesta. -  solo vlin.- strings

THE JUJUBE TREE        
for 2 kotos and orchestra (1991) 10'00"
3. 3. 3. 3. - 4. 3. 3. 1. - 2 percu. groups.- 2 kotos. 2 string orchestras
 1. Premiered in Sendai Asian Music Festival '92, Sendai, Japan. 1992 by the Sendai  Philharmonic  Orchestra
 2. Hong Kong premiere was by the Hong Kong  Philharmonic Orchestra in 1993  conducted  by composer himself


Chamber

STRING QUARTET NO. 4
(1999) 18'

CICADA
for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1999) 12'
Commissioned by the Hong Kong Composers' Guild
Premiered by the Hamburg New Music Ensemble

KONG           
for solo Erhu and 2 Percussion Players (1994) 7'20"
Premiered during the 16th Conference and Festival of Asian Composers' League, Taipei,  Taiwan in 1994.

RAN           
for 6 mixed Chinese and Western Instruments  (1992) 10'20"
Commissioned by the Hong Kong Composer's Guild. Premiered  during the Hong Kong
Musicarama '92 by the Hong Kong  New  Music Ensemble conducted by composer himself

GRAYLING          
for Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Double bass, Piano (1991) 12'15"
 1. Premiered during The New Generation Hong Kong '92. by the Hong Kong New Music  Ensemble conducted by composer himself.  Awarded the CASH Prize.
 2. Successively performed during the 1992 International Summer Course
 for New Music, Darmstadt, Germany.
 3. Ensemble Kochi, Tokyo, Japan 1995

HUO         
for 2 Chinese Instruments and 1 Percussionist (1991) 6'00"

WU-SHI          
for 12 Percussion Instruments (1991) 12'30"

4 PIECES FOR STRING QUARTET      
String quartet No.3 (1991) 12'00"

RACING         
for 2 Pipa or 2 Pipa groups  (1990) 15'00"

4 PIECES FOR CLARINET AND PIANO     
 Premiered in 1990 , Hong Kong University   (1990) 14'12"

IVY           
for solo Violin and 2 Percussionists (Piano) (1990) 12'28"
 1. Premiered by composer himself in 1990, University of Hong Kong
 2. Performed in New Music Hong Kong 91, A.P.A.1992
 3. Presented in IRC 92, Paris, 1992.

'1989'           
String quartet No. 2 (1989) 16'00"
 Premiered in 1997  by the Accordes Quartet in Toronto, Canada

A ROMANTIC AIR        
for Violin and Piano (1988) 6'00"

FUGUE AND ALLEGRO       
String quartet No.1 (1986) 5'00"

MUSIC FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO (1985) 12'30"    
 Premiered in 1985 Hong Kong Young Musicians' Award. Received  the 3rd prize


For Solo Instruments

THE PICTURE OF LI-PO RECITING POETRY     
for piano solo (1999) 11'


FOLK SONG
for violin solo (1999) 10'

IMPROMPTU          
for piano solo (1997) 12'00"

THE PICTURE OF PU-TAI AND FIGHTING COCKS     
for Flute solo (1990) 7'30"
 1. Premiered in The New Generation Concert '91.
 2. International Summer Course for New Music, Darmastadt, Germany.
 3. The Asian -Pacific Music Festival/Conference 1992. Wellington/Auckland, New  Zealand.
 4. Stella Noval Tokyo '93. Tokyo, Japan

MUSIC FOR PIANO SOLO (1990) 10'00"      
 1. Premiered in The New Generation Hong Kong '90
 2. The Australian Piano Music Concert 1995, Town Hall, Sydney
 3. The First International Competition for Piano Composition, won Himalaya Cup Award


Vocal

FIVE SONGS FOR TENOR AND PIANO (1990) 6'00"     


Electronic

WUXING  I          
for tape and sanxian (Chinese zither instrument) (1992) 9'00"
 1. Premiered in Positron Recital, 1992 University of Hong Kong.
 2. Concert of New Sound, University of Sydney, Australia.

WUXING  II          
for tape and solo cello (1997) 11'00"
Commissioned by the Hong Kong  Composers Guild
 Premiered in the Hong Kong  International Music Festival '97
 

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CRITICS

".......the Accordes Quartet delivered a convincing reading of Brian Chatpo Koo's String Quartet No. 2.  Bristling with dissonance, angularity and intensity, the piece offered the white-hot inspiration one seldom encounters on the western concert circuit these days."

William Littler, Music critic, The Toronto Star, 9/12/1997
 

"The evening's programme encompassed a cross-section of what Hong Kong has offered in its contemporary music output, ranging from abstract avant-garde of string quartet music in Chatpo Koo's work to highly inspired expressions of movements by masters of Tai-chi and Kung Fu in Doming Lam's."

Richard Tsang, composer, Form Chairman of Hong Kong Composers' Guild.
A Fine showcase of Hong Kong Music in Canada-
'Spirit of Hong Kong' well received by the Canadian Public, Cash  Flow, April 1998
 

 "I am impressed by the originality of his thinking and by his work.  He has found a way, in his music, to place Western avant-garde techniques and structures at the service of this own particular beliefs and inherited culture.  This is rare among composers of non-European background.  His work, then, emerges as a wholly original contribution to the present-day repertory of music."

Peter Sculthorpe, Professor in music, University of Sydney, Australia
Report on Koo's PhD thesis
 

"I am very impressed by the seven works in this portfolio.  They show the hallmarks of a mature composer who writes with courage and conviction.  I respond positively to the underlying dramatic elements notably in the larger scaled works and I am particularly impressed by the masterly sense of timing and the wonderful sense of registral space throughout all the works.  One is continually drawn to the impressive range and subtlety of textures, the harmonic richness, rhythmic flexibility and formal procedures.  The works are satisfying in their range of expression and the way in which they lead the listener to ever deeper levels on subsequent listening."

John Rimmer, Professor in music, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Report on Koo's PhD thesis
 

"The unconventional use of Chinese folk instruments is particularly laudable.  The solo sanxian is well exploited and surpasses the boundary of traditional and modern.  The careful blending of so-called east and west in the use of instruments is very successful."

Wing-Wah Chan, Professor in music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Report on Koo's PhD thesis

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Email: koo@accsoft.com.au