Play Thai tunes and win free royal trip
Play Thai tunes and win free royal trip
JAKARTA (JP): The Thai Embassy in Jakarta is organizing a contest for young Indonesian pianists. They can win a grand prize of a trip to Thailand for playing King Bhumibol Adulyadej's compositions.
The contest, open to pianists under 23 years of age, is being held to mark the 50th anniversary of the coronation of King Bhumibol, a music buff who has composed 43 songs. The anniversary celebration will be held in May 1996.
Thai Ambassador to Indonesia Kasit Piromya said contestants will be required to play King Bhumibol's compositions arranged by noted Indonesian composer and pianist Trisutji Kamal.
Young pianists are invited to send, not later then Feb. 28, a cassette recording of their repertoires to the Thai embassy.
Selected pianists will receive Kamal's arrangements of the King's works and will be invited to come to Jakarta to play the pieces in April before a jury which includes prominent Indonesian music experts. The winner will be asked to perform at a reception night, to be held here on May 5, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Bhumibol's coronation.
The trip to Thailand will be in June or July.
"This event confirms the good relations between the peoples of the two countries," asserted Piromya.
"It is an interesting event," said Kamal, who has been working on the arrangements since early this month.
Kamal, a graduate of the Amsterdam Conservatory, the Ecole Normale de Musique of Paris and the Conservatory Sancta Ceacilia in Italy, currently lectures at the Jakarta Institute of Arts. He has composed a wide range of musical pieces.
King Bhumibol, who showed his remarkable gift for music at an early age and was formally trained in Switzerland, has composed 43 musical works, including patriotic songs, marches, university's anthems, love songs and jazz compositions.
He was first recognized in 1964 when the N.Q. Tonkunstler Orchestra played a selection of his best pieces at the Vienna Concert Hall. It was broadcasted throughout Austria.
The King is also into jazz. He leads a thirty-year-old jazz band called Or.Sor.. He has also set up a brass band called the Sahai Pattana for his entourage of doctors, royal guards and members of the palace staff.
King Bhumibol initiated and supervised a project for compiling standard text-books on traditional Thai music, and pioneered a research project on the aspects of old music scales of various Thai musical instruments. The Music Association of Thailand, which promotes Thai music and looks out for Thai musicians, is under the royal patronage. (als)