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Hsiao-Mei KuHsiao-Mei Ku

Title: Professor of the Practice of Music (violin) and Member of Ciompi Quartet
Office Location: 082 Mary Duke Biddle
Office Phone: (919) 660-3329
Email Address: hmku@duke.edu
Office Hours:

By Appointment

Education

  • Master of Music with Distinction, Indiana University, 1983
  • Recipient - Performer's Certificate School of Music, Indiana University, 1983
  • Special Program Iowa State University, 1981
  • Diploma Central School of Music, Beijing, China, 1970

Research Interests

  1. Numerous solo and chamber music appearances internationally as well as in the U. S. A. 
 2.Recordings with Ciompi Quartet on Sheffield Lab and Albany labels.
3.Solo CD album, "Music of Violn and Piano of Ma Sicong (I)", is first of the Naxos’s new series “Chinese Classics”, released under Naxos in July 2007
4. Solo CD of “Music for violin and Piano” volume 2 (Naxos 8.570605) by the Chinese composer Ma Sicong has been featured at ClassicsOnline in November, 2009 and has been released by Naxos in March, 2010.  The album can be found at: http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=889226

Miscellaneous

A music composition " Sound. Distant" for violin and guzheng by Mark Kuss was premiered on my annual recital in fall of 2009 at Duke that was original created as a music response to Nasher Museum's exhibition entitled: "Displacement: Three Gorges Dam and Contemporary Chinese Art", has now developed into a collaboration on an extended work, a concerto in three movements for violin, guzheng and an orchestra. This project will have a great impact in the music world and as it is a first work ever written for violin and guzheng assisted by a western orchestra --a combination that has apparently no active history. Orchestra New England (ONE) in New Haven, Connecticut has invited composer Mark Kuss to write a three movements work featuring Jennifer Chang and me as the soloists and this new work will be premiered on May 7, 2011 as part of ONE's 2010-11 subscription series. An additional collaboration with Duke Chamber Players, a student-run chamber music orchestra during DCP’s 2010-11 season will be held at Von der Heyden, Perkins Library in April 2011.

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Certificate for Excellence in Performing Ma Sicong's Music, China Guangdong Province Ma Sicong Association, May 24, 2012
  • the DukeEngage Program Director Leadership Award, DukeEngage, November, 2010

Recent Professional Work:

  (More...)

    Recordings
  • with  “Music for violin and Piano” volume 2, by the Chinese composer Ma Sicong.  Naxos 8.570605 Naxos, March, 2010 .
  • Hsiao-mei Ku and Ning Lu. "Music for Violin and Piano" Vol.II by Ma Sicong.  ClassicsOnline, November, 2009 .
  • Hsiao-mei Ku and Ning Lu. Violin and Piano Music of Ma Sicong (I).  Naxos, July, 2007 .
  • Malcom Peyton. String Quartet No.2. November, 2005 .  [abs]
  • Scott Lindroth. Nassuh. March, 2005 .  [abs]

   Commissions:

  • Commissions, Duke Univeristy, April, 2012
    Commissions of Chiayu Hsu's "Journey to the West" String Quartet
  • Commissions, Duke University, Smith College, March 31, 2012
     Donald Wheelock's String Quartet No.6
  • Commissions, New Haven, CT, May 07, 2011
    Commission of Mark Kuss's "Sounds. Distant" for Violin/Guzheng and Orchestra
  • Commissions, May 01, 2010
    String Quartet "Journey to the West" (World Premiere) by Chiayu Hsu
  • "Sound. Distant", November 01, 2009 - present
    Commissioned and World Premiere of "Sound. Distant" for Violin and Guzheng by composer Mark Kuss
  • Commissions, Duke Universiry, October 18, 2009
    "Quintet for Tenor Saxophone and Strings" by Max Raimi

   Solo Performances:
  • Solo Performances, 2012 - present
    October 5 Solo Recital, Nelson Music Room, East Duke 
    October 3 Solo Recital, Carol Woods, Chapel Hill, NC
    October 2 Solo Recital, Croasdaile Village, Durham, NC

     September 28  Solo Recital, Forest@Duke, Durham, NC 
    July 15 Solo performance at Qinyuan Music Festival, Qinyuan, China 
    May 25 Solo Performance for MaSicong’s Centennial Celebration Concert, Xinhai Concert Hall, Guangzhou, China 
    April 22 Solo performance for MaSicong’s Centennial Celebration Concert, West Chester University, Philadelphia, PA
  • Solo Performances, January 01, 2011 - December 31, 2011

     

    November 5               Soloist, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Durham, NC

    October 30                 Solo recital, Duke annual recital, Nelson, East Duke

    October 26                 Solo recital, Carol Woods, Chapel Hill, NC

    October 28                 Solo recital, Croasdaile Village, Durham, NC

    October 21                 Solo recital, the Forest at Duke, Durham, NC

    October 5                   Soloist, Beethoven Triple Concerto, DSO, Reynold Theater

    May 7                         Soloist, Orchestra of New Haven, Connecticut

    April 16                      Soloist, Duke Chamber Players, Perkins Library, Duke

  • Solo Performances, 2010/12/07

    November 19 Solo Performance for R.E.A.C.H’s charity fund rising event, Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill, NC

    September 12 Solo Recital, Nelson Music Room, East Duke University

    September 10 Solo Recital, the Forest at Duke, Durham, NC

    September 9 Solo Recital, Croasdaile Village,Durham, NC
    September 8 Solo Recital, Carol Woods, Chapel Hill, NC
    April 22 Solo Performance, " a Musical Response" to the exhibition of “Displacement: The Three Gorges Dam and Contemporary Chinese Art”, Nasher Museum, Duke University 
    April 3 Solo Performance, Collaboration with Duke Dance Department on their April 3, 2010, Collaboration with Duke Dance Department on their  "ACROSS THE THRESHOLD SYMPOSIUM" concert : Movement, Memory &  Music:  A Mosaic of Transcultural Performance
    March 15 Solo Concert for Durham Public School (East meets West), Baldwin, East Duke
    February 24 Solo Concert at Lecture Series, Thompson Hall,  NCSU
    February 16  Solo Performance/Lecture for Prof. Alison Arnold’s class "Music of Asia" at NCSU
    February 16 Mallarme Chamber Players, "East Meets West" St. Mary's School Concert Series, Raleigh, NC
    January 26 Solo Recital, Smedes Parlor Concert Series, Saint Mary’s
    School, Raleigh, NC

  • Solo Performances, 2009 - present
    December 3    Solo “Alexander's  Feast” by Handel, Duke Symphony
                    Orchestra, Baldwin, East Duke
    November 1     Duke annual recital, world premiere of “Sound.     Distant”
                    For violin and guzheng by Mark Kuss
    October 29            Violin Recital, Croasdaile Village, Durham, NC
    October 28            Violin Recital, Carol Woods, Chapel Hill, NC
    October 27            Violin Recital, Forest at Duke, Durham, NC
  • Solo Performances, 1990/09/01


    October 5 Solo Recital, Nelson Music Room, East Duke

    October 3 Solo Recital, Carol Woods, Chapel Hill, NC

    October 2 Solo Recital, Croasdaile Village, Durham, NC

    September 28 Solo Recital, Forest at Duke, Durham, NC

    July 15 Solo performance at Qingyuan Music Festival

    May 25 Solo performance at Ma Sicong's Centennial Celebration concert, Xinghai Concert Hall, Guangzhou, China

    April 22           Solo performance for MaSicong’ CentennialCelebration Concert, West Chester University, Philadelphia, PA

                                             


   Performances:
  • Performances, 2012 - present
    December 24 Christmas Eve's concert, Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church, Durham, NC
    December 16 Concertmaster, Trinity Avenue Presbyterian
    Church, Durham, NC
    July 15 Conducting Festival Orchestra, Qingyuan, China
    April 8 Concertmaster, Trinity Avenue Presbyterian 
    Church, Durham, NC
    February 26 Chamber Music Wilmington, NC
  • Performances, 2010/12/07

    December 24 Christmas Eve’s concert, Durham, NC

    December 12 Concertmaster, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Durham, NC

    April 11 The Duke Chorale concert, Duke Chapel
    April 4 Concertmaster, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Durham, NC

  • Performances, 2009 - present

    December 13            Christmas Concert, Duke Chapel, Duke
    Concertmaster, Presbyterian Church Chamber Orchestra,
                    Durham, NC
    December 12            Christmas Concert, Duke Chapel, Duke
    December 6            “Nutcrackers” the Carolina Ballet, Raleigh, NC
    December 5            “Nutcrackers” the Carolina Ballet, Raleigh, NC
    July  4                North Carolina Symphony Concert, Cary, NC
    July  3                North Carolina Symphony Concert, Garner NC
    July  2                North Carolina Symphony Concert, Fayetteville, NC
    June 27            North Carolina Symphony Concert, Cary, NC
    June 26            North Carolina Symphony Concert, Chapel Hil, NC
    June 22            North Carolina Symphony Concert, New Bern, NC
    June 20            North Carolina Symphony Concert, Cary, NC
    June 19            North Carolina Symphony Concert, Manteo, NC
    April 28            Medici & Stradivarius concert, Duke Garden, Duke
    April 13            Concertmaster, Trinity Presbyterian Church Orchestra
                    Durham, NC

   Master Classes:
  • Master Classes, 2012 - present
    October 31 Sectional Coaching of Duke Symphony Orchestra, Duke
    September 30 Master Class for Mallarme Youth Chamber Orchestra, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC
    July 13-16 Master Classes and workshops, Qingyuan Music Festival, Qingyuan, China
    April 23 Master Class, West Chester University, Philadelphia, PA
  • Master Classes, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, December 12, 2011
    3-Day Residency in Sichuan Conservatory, China
  • Master Classes, January 01, 2011 - present


    September 18             Coaching Mallarme Youth Chamber Players

    May 5                         Master class, University of Southern University Connecticut

    January 30                 Coaching Mallarme Youth Chamber Players

  • Master Classes for Mallarme Youth Chamber Orchestra, UNC, 2007 - present
  • Mallarme Youth Chamber Music, November 22, 2009
    Chamber Music Master Class
  • Master Classes, May 30, 2005 - present
    Chamber Music,University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

   Works Premiered:
  • Works Premiered, March 31, 2012
    March 31 World Premiere performance of Donald Wheelock's 
    String Quartet No.6
  • Works Premiered, New Haven, CT, May 7, 2011 - present
    May 7 World Premiere of "Sound. Distant", a concerto for Violin/guzheng and Orchestra

    April 15 World premiere of " Journey of the West" by Chia-Yu Hsu

   Artistic Direction:
  • Artistic Direction, 2012 - present
    July 13-16 Conducting of Qingyuan Youth String Ensemble, 
    Qingyuan, China
  • Artistic Direction, 2010/12/07
    February 14 Coaching session for Duke Chamber Players
    February 7 Coaching session for Duke Chamber Players

   Series Coordinator/Director:
  • Series Coordinator/Director, 2012 - present
    May 10-July 15 Director of DukeEngage China/Zhuhai
    Program
    January 1-December 1 Pegram Concert Series
  • Series Coordinator/Director, May 09, 2010 - present
    Director of China/Zhuhai, DukeEngage. Led 11 Duke students for two months of service for DukeEngage China/Zhuhai “Empowerment Through Arts” program in Zhuhai, China
  • Pegram Concert Series Director, September 01, 2005 - present
    Pegram Dorm, East Campus, Duke University,
  • Master Class Series Coordinator, 2004 - May, 2010
    Department of Music, Duke University, 2004-Present

   Residencies:
  • Residencies, July 13, 2012 - present
    July 13-16 Inauguration of Qingyuan Music Festival
    Qingyuan, China
  • Residencies, December 15, 2011
    3-day Residency in Sichuan Conservatory, China
  • Residencies, May 04, 2011 - May 05, 2011
    Master Class and Lecture of "Music Scene in China"
  • Mallarme Youth Chamber Music, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC, June 10, 2007 - present
  • UNC Chamber Music Workshop, Chapel Hill, NC, June 05, 2005 - present
    Week-long of Chamber Music Coaching
  • Monadnock Music Festival, Peterborough, NH, August 10, 1992 - present

Visiting Professor of Guangzhou Xing Hai Conservatory, China

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