Praised by the South Florida Classical Review as “an old-fashioned virtuoso in the best sense” and concurrently described as “vulnerably beautiful”, performing “with an expressive spontaneity… that banished all sense of routine” and “sizzling intensity that only high-caliber virtuosity can impart to music,” violinist KO SUGIYAMA,“daringly”, has “had the audience hanging on every note… providing a performance that wedded technical facility with a star soloist’s personality” (Miami Herald). Acclaimed as “most rousing” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), “powerful” (Washington Classical Review), and “a strong soloist” (Los Angeles Times), Sugiyama is known for being “the possessor of a highly communicative, intense tone,” demonstrating “powerful examples of musical partnership in the service of exceptionally demonstrative writing” (Palm Beach ArtsPaper).
Currently enjoying a multifaceted career as an orchestral, chamber, and solo artist, Ko has served as the Assistant Concertmaster of the Washington National Opera Orchestra (WNOO) and John F. Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra (KCOHO) since 2012. Alongside his orchestral duties as Assistant Concertmaster, Ko performs and collaborates—as concertmaster, chamber musician and soloist—on an expansive array of repertoire, from traditional ballet works with companies such as the New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and recital collaborations with the WNO Cafritze Young Artists Program to non-traditional, innovative and groundbreaking programs that include the WNO American Opera Initiative, KCOHO Pathways to Performance series with members of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, to Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’s “Go for Barocco” and KC Jukebox New Music Concert Series featuring Mason Bates’ “Ravishment.” Additionally, Ko has served as a teaching and performing artist for the U.S. State Department’s public affairs cultural diplomacy program, representing the musicians of the KCOHO, has been a faculty member for the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Youth Fellowship Program, the NSO Summer Music Institute, and has shared the joys of music as a performer through the NSO In Your Neighborhood series. Beyond the Kennedy Center, Ko is a faculty artist at the Eastern Music Festival, serves as an on-rotation alumni mentor for the New World Symphony, and runs a highly thriving, inspiring studio. His contributions through the years as a performer and educator has been recognized through VA House Resolution 82 by the Virginia General Assembly.
In addition to enjoying a colorful array of projects at the Kennedy Center, Ko has enjoyed getting to share his art both locally and internationally from the Americas, Europe, to Asia at renowned venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Severance Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, 92nd Street Y’s Kauffman Concert Hall, Sidney Harman Hall at the Harman Center for the Arts, Mellon Auditorium, Phillips Collection, National Gallery of Art, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Mt. Vernon Ford Orientation Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum’s McEvoy Theater, New World Center, Royal Albert Hall, Audi Festsaal Ingolstadt, Concertgebouw, Vibor Musiksal, Nykøbing Musikværket, Nordisk Folkcenter, Sapporo Art Park, Kitara Sapporo Concert Hall, and Otaru Marine Hall. Additionally, he has performed at the residences of ambassadors to the United States from Columbia, Germany, Ireland, and Japan, and the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Jamaica. As a soloist, Ko has appeared with orchestras such as the KCOHO, Phillips Camerata, Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Burbank Philharmonic, and the New World Symphony. Moreover, he has served as guest concertmaster for the American Ballet Theater at Wolftrap, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Phillips Camerata, Miami Music Festival, and Aspen Music Festival, with summer music festival appearances at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Sun Valley Summer Symphony, Manchester Summer Chamber Music, Lakes Area Music Festival, BBC Proms, and Audi Sommerkonzerte series. Ko has collaborated with members of the Tokyo String Quartet, Keller String Quartet, Jeremy Denk, Nicholas McGegan, Alasdair Neale, Teddy Abrams, José-Luis Novo, Paul Katz, Laura Strickling, Nathaniel Silberschlag, Ole Akahoshi, Daniel Blumenthal, Eric Kim, Andy Akiho, Amy Beth Kirsten, Robert Ainsley, Chris Cano, Julie Kent, Phillips Camerata, the Washington Ballet, 21st Century Consort, National Chamber Players, Sound Impact, members of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, KCOHO/WNOO and NSO.
As a dedicated arts educator at the Kennedy Center and beyond students of his studio and NSO fellow have been invited to some of the most prestigious events, programs, and institutions, including the Menuhin International Competition (Junior), multiple NPR programs including “From the Top,” The Juilliard School, Juilliard Prep, New England Conservatory, Rice University, Oberlin College and Conservatory, University of Southern California, Heifetz Institute, Encore Chamber Music Institute, Eastern Music Festival, Kinhaven Music School, Indiana University Summer String Academy, Peabody Chamber Week, NSO Summer Music Institute, Luzerne Music Center, and Summit Music Festival. They have performed as soloists with orchestras such as the Richmond Symphony, Amadeus Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra Zabrze Philharmonic, American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Maryland Classical Youth Orchestra, Capitol Youth Symphony Orchestra, and various other youth orchestras. They have also successfully performed at major venues, such as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Strathmore Hall, and Teatr Nowy and played the U.S. National Anthem at Nationals Park on numerous occasions.
Prior to joining the Kennedy Center, Ko spent four years as a fellow performing with the New World Symphony under former artistic director Michael Tilson Thomas where he performed on numerous subscription programs as soloist, as chamber musician, world premiere performances, and lecture recitals. Ko holds his Bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), where he studied under Paul Kantor and performed in the CIM Intensive Quartet Seminar coached by Peter Salaff and the Cavani String Quartet (Annie Fullard, Mari Sato, Kirsten Doctor, Merry Peckham). He earned his Master of Music degree from the Julliard School as a recipient of the Irene Diamond Graduate Fellowship, studying under Masao Kawasaki and receiving chamber music coaching from Fred Sherry, Sylvia Rosenberg, Darrett Adkins, and Yoheved Kaplinsky. His other major teachers include Henry Gronnier, Zoya Leybin, Amy Hershberger, Chan Ho Yun, Linda Rose, Elizabeth Arbus, and Carol Hetrick. Ko is an alum of the Colburn School of Performing Arts and as a student has been invited to study at summer festivals, including the Meadowmount School of Music, Perlman Music Program, Aspen Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and as resident quartet of Pacific Music Festival.