ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Dr Brian Chatpo Koo

Founding Conductor and Artistic & Executive Director Dr. Brian Chatpo Koo is a Sydney-based musician. Having studied music at the University of Hong Kong and the University of Sydney, Brian was the first person in Australia to receive a Ph.D. degree in music composition. Supported by the Hong Kong University Grant, Brian also studied music at the International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt, Germany, and obtained his Licentiate and Fellowship Diplomas from the Trinity College of Music in London.

Dr Brian Chatpo Koo biography

Composer · Conductor · Musician · Music Creator

Dr Brian Chatpo Koo is a Sydney-based composer, conductor, musician, and music creator whose career spans more than four decades across Hong Kong, Australia, and the international music community.

Brian began his career as a composer in Hong Kong in 1985 and continued his creative work in Sydney after settling in Australia in 1993. His first composition, Music for Violin and Piano, received recognition at the 1985 Hong Kong Young Musicians’ Award. Since then, his compositional output has grown to encompass a wide range of Western musical styles and genres, from works for solo instruments and chamber ensembles to large-scale orchestral compositions and opera. His major works include the operas The Tomb of Three Kings and Three Trees, composed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Alongside his creative career, Brian has pursued extensive academic and professional studies in music. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Hong Kong (1990), studies at the International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt, Germany (1992), Licentiate Diploma (LTCL, 1992), Fellowship Diploma (FTCL, 1993), Master of Philosophy in Music (M.Phil) from Trinity College of Music, London (1993), and Doctor of Philosophy in Music (Ph.D.) from the University of Sydney (1996). He was the first person in Australia to receive a Ph.D. in music composition.

As a composer, Brian has received commissions from prominent organisations including the Hong Kong Composers’ Guild, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Symphony Australia. His music has been performed and broadcast across Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia.

As a conductor, Brian has conducted numerous premieres of his own compositions, including the premieres of both of his operas. His conducting career has also taken him to work with ensembles and orchestras internationally, including the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Hong Kong Symphonic Winds, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Taiwan National Ensemble, Hamburg New Music Ensemble, Darmstadt Ensemble, Ensemble Kochi in Tokyo, Zelanian Ensemble in New Zealand, and Accordes Quartet in Toronto.

Brian’s achievements as a composer include the Hong Kong Young Musicians’ Award in 1985 and the Himalaya Cup Award at the First International Competition for Piano Composition in Beijing in 1995.

His academic and teaching career has included appointments as a tutor and teaching assistant in the Music Department at the University of Hong Kong, a senior faculty member at the Australian Institute of Music, and an external examiner for the University of Wollongong.

Sydney Contemporary Orchestra

Brian is the Founding Conductor and Artistic and Executive Director of the Sydney Contemporary Orchestra (SCO), an organisation he established to promote orchestral music, music education, and opportunities for musicians and young performers.

Under his artistic direction, SCO has presented more than 200 new compositions by living composers from around the world, providing a platform for contemporary music and creating opportunities for audiences and musicians to experience diverse musical voices.

Developing the Next Generation

Brian also founded the SCO Youth Symphony (SYS), the training arm of the Sydney Contemporary Orchestra, to provide professional orchestral training and performance opportunities for young musicians.

Brian believes that high-quality classical music training, combined with carefully selected programs representing a variety of cultural perspectives, can help young musicians broaden their vision and develop a deeper understanding of culture, civilisation, and human society.

SYS provides a structured pathway through three levels of orchestral training: the Sydney Contemporary Youth Orchestra (SCYO), the Sydney Hills Youth Orchestra (SHYO), and the Sydney Hills Junior Orchestra (SHJO).

Through these programs, more than 200 young musicians have received orchestral training under Brian’s direction. Many former members have gone on to pursue music at a higher level, with some continuing their careers as professional musicians.

Brian’s work with SYS reflects his broader commitment to music education: developing not only technically accomplished young musicians, but also thoughtful, culturally aware individuals who can appreciate music as an important part of human culture and society.

Western Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Brian is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the Western Sydney Symphony Orchestra (WSSO). As conductor, he has led the orchestra in performances of a substantial repertoire of the classical symphonies of Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert, as well as major Romantic works including Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”, symphonies by Bruckner and Brahms, and other major orchestral repertoire.

Through his work with SCO, SYS, and WSSO, Brian has developed a distinctive musical career combining contemporary music, classical repertoire, music education, and opportunities for musicians of different generations and levels of experience.

Brian is also a represented composer of the Australian Music Centre, where his compositions are available for purchase or hire.

Through a Deed of Assignment with the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong (CASH), Brian has assigned to the Society the performing rights in his musical works in all countries of the world.

Brian established a scholarship – Dr. Koo Music Scholarship to help talented young musicians to pursue their high-level music studies.