Described by newspapers and magazines such as Washington Post, Gramophone International UK, San Francisco Examiner, Charleston Post and Courier, The Boston Intelligencer as “21st-century sensibilities,” “exquisitely…ceaselessly compelling,” “exceptional beauty and imagination," “a hybrid sonic labyrinth,” and “beautiful and haunting and thought-provoking,” Kui Dong's music has been performed and commissioned by numerous ensembles.

She has received honors and prizes from a wide spectrum of prestigious institutions, including Central Ballet Group of China, The Orchestra and Chorus of the National Performing Art Center of China, Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television, Japan’s Public Interest Incorporated Foundation and Fukuyama Arts Foundation, Spain’s Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, UK’s Arditti Quartet, Austria’s Ars Electronica, the Netherlands's Slawerkgroep Den Hagg, Other Minds Festival, The Tanglewood Music Center and Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Nancy Karp Dance company, Del Sol Quartet, Volti, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, California EAR unit, CONTINUUM, Pianist Sarah Cahill,  Melody of China, USA Commissioning Award, The IDEA Grants from the National Opera Center, The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation and Library of Congress, the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University, Meet the Composer, ISCM, and ASCAP.

Dong’s compositions span diverse genres and styles including ballet, orchestral, chamber, chorus, electro-acoustic music, film scores, multi-media art, and free improvisation. Her works written in the US increasingly show a unique synthesis of influences from Avant-garde experimental, jazz, electro-acoustic, and other ethnic music, but at the same time maintain profound respect to Western classical music and a deep cultural connection with her roots. She sometimes incorporates theatre, as well as Chinese and non-western instruments and musical concepts into contemporary settings.

Her music, including three full-length CDs, can be found on New World Records Pangu's Song (2004) and Other Minds Records Hands Like Waves Unfold (2008) and Since When Has The Bright Moon Existed (2011). Releases in 2013 include Follow Me? (2009) for electronic and clarinet and Shall We Play? (2012-13) for string quartet, piano 4 hands, and toy pianos on Grammy Award-nominated Sono Luminus Records, as well as Trio on Henceforth Records.

The recording of Differences within Oneness for string quartet was digitally released by Other Minds Records/Naxos in November of 2015. Her interview and her two large choral works Shui Diao Ge To & Song for mixed vocal ensemble, percussion and piano and Painted Lights for double chorus are featured in the documentary film Su Tong Po which aired on China Central Television Channel 9 in July 2017.

Central Conservatory of Music Press published a collection of her chamber works in 2015, and released a collection of her large choral music in early 2021. Her most recent work Spring, for orchestra, chorus and organ, Commissioned by Phoenix Television, was premiered and opened The Spring Festival Musical Gala for Chinese Around the World 2019. Performed by the orchestra and chorus, with resident organist of the National Performing Art center, the concert was repeatedly broadcasted to Europe, North America, and Asia in February 2019.

Kui Dong is a professor of Music Composition and Music department Chair (2018-2020) at Dartmouth College. When she is not writing music, she occasionally performs free improvisation on piano and writes novels on the side.  Her first novel The Story of a Little Soldier will be published by Knowledge Press under the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House in 2020.