Veronica “Vonnie” Kao is a composer from Boston, Massachusetts whose works make up a mosaic of styles and her pieces include motivic-based writing in addition to colors that spin out organically into poetic, phrases.  Taking inspiration from a variety of contemporary musical styles, folk musics, literature, and human psychology, her compositions can move freely between free timbral exploration, quasi-tonal lyricism, and punchy, energetic, and rustic folk-inspired styles.  Kao has B.A.’s in Music and Psychology from Williams College where she studied composition with Zachary Wadsworth and flute performance with Jacqueline DeVoe.  Kao continues to be an avid and passionate performer on flute and piccolo with ensembles such as the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra, at the I/O New Music Festival, and in various musical theatre pit orchestras. In 2021, Kao traveled to Vienna, Austria to study music.  There, she found a vibrant artistic culture and close-knit musical community and hopes to achieve this again wherever she ends up in life.  In 2022 she had the privilege to learn from composer and musical inspiration Yuko Uebayashi and flutist Carol Wincenc at La Mélodieuse in France.  She plans to pursue a master’s study in composition.