Chen-Kang Kao received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside, with a dissertation “Reflections on Collaboration in Growth for Violin, Fixed Media, and Three Dancers.” Notable among his commissioned works are Etus Nate—for Mixed 4-part Chorus, Flute, Bassoon, and Piano (2015), Liberation‧Enlightenment—for Mixed 4-part Chorus and Piano (2017), Between Mikrokosmos and Makrokosmos II. “A Taiwanese in California” —for Piano Solo and Fixed Media (2022), and Adventure—for Piano Solo (2024).