Koh Yew Kia was born in Malaysia and studied at the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) having been offered a full music scholarship. Following his graduation from NTNU, Yew Kia went on to study for his Master in Flute performance from Taipei National University of The Arts. He worked with renowned flutist Man-Nong Fan, Huang Chen-Ying, Alain Marion, Pierre-Yves Artaud, Wolfgang Schulz, Renee Krimsier, Janos Balint and Andras Adorjan. Winner of Taipei Flute Duo Competition in 2000, Yew Kia was invited to perform the Carl Nielsen flute concerto, John Rutter ‘Suite Antique’ and Mozart Flute Concerto in the Taiwan International Flute Festival in 2006, 2009 and 2018 respectively.
Yew Kia’s professional life as a flutist began in 1999, when he was invited to join Joueur de Flute Ensemble, a professional flute ensemble in Taiwan. This soon led to his appointment to the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO) as principal flute by Maestro Gernot Schmalfuss, a post that he remained in for fifteen years. As a founding member of the ESO, Taiwan’s leading symphony orchestra, Yew Kia was able to tour extensively including concert halls in major cities such as London, Los Angeles, Sydney, Brisbane, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and Singapore.
The collaborations with harpist Menglu Chiu since 2006 start from a concert of Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto K.299 at Taipei National Concert Hall followed with their successful Flute and Harp duo concerts in Taipei National Recital Hall over the following few years.
Yew Kia relocated his family back to his home country Malaysia in 2017. He is active in several festivals and flute events in the regions, including Taiwan International Flute Festival, Hong Kong International Flute Competition, Shanghai International Flute Camp, Evergreen Symphonic Music Camp Euroasia Flute Society. He is now teaching in Marlborough College Malaysia and heads up the Atelier Flute Ensemble in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Koh Yiew Kia’s involvement with FluteFest Malaysia 2025
Recital: “Echoes of the Imagination”
Festival Closing Concert