An active teacher, Dr. Ko has a passion to bring out the best quality musicians can achieve. She has won top prizes in numerous competitions: Myrna Brown Young Artist Competition, Matinee Musicale Scholarship Competition, TMTA Young Artist Competition, and among others. Dr. Ko has performed in a variety of solo, chamber, and large ensemble settings. She has given recitals in South Korea, Australia, and the U.S. Dr. Ko frequently performs as a substitute flutist in many orchestras including, Evansville Philharmonic, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Orchestra, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra,.
Since 2016 Dr. Ko has been a member of the Volante Winds, a quintet formed in Bloomington, IN. The Volante Winds seeks out creative collaborations in the pursuit of excellence in chamber music. Driven by a desire to share music with as wide an audience as possible, The Volante Winds combines performance of the highest quality with a deep passion for pedagogy. The Volante Winds were named semi-finalists at the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and semi-finalists at the 2017 Plowman Chamber Music Competition. The quintet held residencies at The Mineral Springs Chamber Music Festival in Wisconsin, The Juneau Jazz and Classics Festival in Alaska, The Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival in Korea, American Music Festival and Chamber Music Wilmington in North Carolina where we were dedicated to educational outreach and public performances.
Committed to education at all levels, Dr. Ko was appointed Artistic Director of the Flute Academy at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in 2019. Open to all ages and levels, Dr. Ko acts as the recruiter, curriculum designer, lesson teacher, and conductor for the Flute Academy Ensemble.
Suyeon Ko earned a Doctor of Music degree in flute performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Master of Music degree in flute performance from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor of Music in flute performance from Jeju National University in South Korea. Former teachers include Thomas Robertello, Kathryn Lukas, Mary Karen Clardy, and Dea-Sik Hur.
Dr. Ko resides in Bloomington Indiana with her beloved dog Bori.