Tonia Ko: Women Make Music
Exploring identities through music with Tonia Ko and Magnard Ensemble
What changes did Lockdown 2020 bring to your life? Do you think and feel like a different person from your pre-pandemic self? How important are our identities and what shapes them? This contemporary classical music project was born out of these questions, particularly from a British East Asian point of view, in response to the sharp increase in hate crime against people of East and South East Asian heritage at the start of the pandemic. The aim is to start a conversation around how ‘Asian-ness’ is perceived from both inside and outside the community.
The project will centre around a brand new work for wind quintet by the London based American composer Tonia Ko, commissioned by the dynamic British wind quintet, Magnard Ensemble. Tonia is a recipient of some of the highest honours for young composers including a 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship, and has frequently featured on BBC Radio 3 for her work with the Riot Ensemble / Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Northern Chords Festival, and Tangram Collective. Magnard Ensemble has established a reputation for world class concert performances and innovative education projects over the past decade. As an alumnus of prestigious schemes including Making Music UK and a residency at Snape Maltings, their highlights include a recital at Wigmore Hall and an animated video adaptation of Rob Biddulph’s ‘Odd Dog Out’, available to watch on YouTube. Through a collaborative composition process, Tonia and Magnard Ensemble will explore their individual identities through music to create a series of unique musical miniatures.