Composer Tonia Ko was born in Hong Kong and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. She earned a DMA from Cornell University and is currently Senior Lecturer in Composition at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her creative practice follows aural, visual, and tactile instincts in a holistic way, writing for leading ensembles and soloists internationally. Recipient of a 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship, she has been commissioned by institutions such as Carnegie Hall, Koussevitzky Foundation, HCMF, and the Hinrichsen Foundation. The 2024-25 season featured performances and premieres by London Symphony Orchestra, Luxembourg Philharmonic, and Brooklyn Art Song Society.
Tonia was shortlisted for selection to represent the ISCM British Section at the World New Music Days Festival 2026 in Romania.