Composer Cathy Kuo 郭嘉琳

Chia-lin Cathy Kuo (composer / Pianist )

有關於郭嘉琳 ( 作曲家/ 鋼琴手)

Chia-lin Cathy Kuo is a Taiwan-Canadian composer. She received her MFA in Composition at University of California, Irvine and DMA in Composition at The University of British Columbia.

Kuo initially studied Sociology in college and TV Production at Boston University (M.S.) before she entered Berklee College of Music, where she spent one and a half years in Film Scoring program. In her twenties, she did some scores for TV commercials and news/logos. With great passion for orchestral music, Kuo studied composition with distinguished Taiwanese composer Gordon S.W. Chin (金希文) for two years before she pursued her graduate degree in Composition.

She studied with Chris Dobrian during her MFA study at University of California, Irvine during 2005 to 2007. After graduation, she returned Taiwan and worked for six years as a music freelancer, as well as a part-time lecturer at National Taiwan University of Arts and Taipei Municipal University of Education between 2007 and 2012. 

In 2013, Kuo emmigrated from Taiwan to Canada, where she entered the DMA in Composition program at the University of British Columbia, where she studied with Stephen Chatman and Dorothy Chang.  She received her doctoral degree in 2018. 

Cathy Kuo is currently an adjunct assistant professor at National Taiwan University of Arts （國立台灣藝術大學). She lives in Vancouver with her son during the summer and the school breaks.

Cathy Kuo is an associate composer of Canadian Music Centre, and ACWC/ACC ( Association of Canadian Women Composers) link to my profile

成長於台灣的台加作曲家郭嘉琳，有著特殊的跨界經歷。她的古典鋼琴基礎，始於童年跟隨孫愛光老師習琴，就讀古亭國小音樂班期間，師事吳漪曼教授。國中即轉唸普通班，大學讀輔仁大學社會系。畢業後至美國波士頓大學攻讀傳播碩士，主修電視製作。返台後在影視傳播界工作數年, 偶接案做片頭配樂（主要在東森電視）。

遲至三十歲，才開始學習理論作曲。除了自學，也隨金希文教授學習兩年，之後獲得加州大學爾灣分校( Univ. of California, Irvine) 音樂研究所的全額獎學金與助教獎學金(TAship)，正式踏上專業學習之路, 跟Christopher Dobrian 學習作曲。畢業作品“青春舞曲鋼琴協奏曲” 得到在加州爾灣首演的肯定。回台後在市立教育大學與台藝大音樂系擔任兼任講師。2013年移居加拿大溫哥華，並獲得加拿大英屬哥倫比亞大學(UBC) 博士班全額獎學金，主修作曲，師事加拿大知名作曲家Stephan Chatman 教授, 2018年二月獲得作曲博士學位(D.M.A) 。留加期間, 除了每年固定發表室內樂作品, 管弦作品連續兩年在溫哥華交響樂團舉辦的作曲比賽獲選。 2018年初, 大型管弦作品Urban Suite （中文曲名為「異鄉人組曲」）獲選在加拿大溫尼伯新音樂節發表，並於當年四月在台北國家音樂廳, 由孫愛光博士指揮陽光台北交響樂團舉行台灣首演。

目前為國立台灣藝術大學音樂系與國立臺北教育大學通識中心的兼任助理教授。返國後，曾受邀陽光台北交響樂團、溫哥華跨文化樂團(Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra)、閃亮木管五重奏、溫哥華Elysian Trio, Paragon Trio 與 Meeks Duo (米克鋼琴雙人組) 等室內樂團體合作發表新作品。近年陸續於台北國家演奏廳、誠品演藝廳、中山堂等，與保持參與加拿大西岸當地的音樂活動，例如: 溫哥華現代音樂節( 2023 Sonic Boom) , 2022 Blueridge Chamber Fest , 2019 Canada Music Day 等場合發表作品。

郭嘉琳目前有參加ACL亞洲作曲家聯盟，也加入加拿大作曲家聯盟(Canadian Music Centre) 與加拿大女性作曲家協會(Association of Canadian Women Composers) ACWC有更詳細個人介紹請按此連結。