SONIC SCULPT

SONIC SCULPT

Exploring Sonic Diversity through Pastoral and Industrial Cultures from Manchester and Bangkok

13-15 JUN 2024

RIVER CITY BANGKOK, RCB FORUM, FL.2

Message from CTC grantees:

Welcome to our exciting week-long cultural exchange project, an immersive exploration of musical performances, scholarly discussions, avant-garde workshops, and innovative experimental lab collaborations. Spearheaded by esteemed UK-based composer Dr. Joel F. Kirk and Thai artist Dr. Piyawat Louilarpprasert, in conjunction with selected Thai musicians, this initiative delves into the pastoral and industrial cultural tapestries of Manchester and Bangkok.

Our project interrogates the profound impact of these cultural milieus on daily life, examining the dynamic interplay between humanity and machinery, and the evolution of technology within pastoral and industrial contexts. This intellectual endeavor inspires new sonic landscapes, drawing from the mechanical sounds of industrial zones and the serene ambiance of pastoral settings to forge a unique musical identity reflective of both cities.

Our activities include new music workshops, presentations, discussions, experimental laboratories, and new music performances involving local Thai composers, young performers, and guest international artists from across Asia, the UK, and the USA including Young Thai Contemporary Ensemble, Thai and Asian Composers, Kul-Gänte, Dr. Kenneth Thompson. From June 3rd to 9th in Bangkok, this project promises to weave together the creative energies of Thai and UK artists, culminating in contemporary musical compositions that resonate with cultural significance. By employing novel curation methods, advancing technological exploration, and engaging the community thr`ough an open call, we aim to enrich cultural diversity and disseminate new knowledge within the contemporary music landscape.

Finally, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the British Council Grant: Connections Through Cultures (CTC) for their generous support which have brought joy to our community through the infusion of new ideas and contemporary insights. Join us on this intellectually stimulating journey, as we forge new connections, advance artistic careers, and create enduring legacies in the world of music and art.

Sincerely,

Piyawat Louilarpprasert, curator (Thailand)

Joel F. Kirk, composer in residence (UK)

SCHEDULE

13 JUNE

14.00 Introduction to the project

14.30 Music Presentation 1: Cross-cultural Music presented by Dr. Joel F. Kirk

15.30 Music Presentation 2: Industrial sound and Labor Music presented by Dr. Piyawat Louilarpprasert

16.30 Workshop 1: Performance Masterclass and Workshop moderated by Kul-Gänte, international guest performers

18.00 End

14 JUNE

10.00 Music Rehearsal 3

12.00 Break

13.00 Panel Discussion 1/Workshop 2: Human and Machine moderated by Dr. Piyawat Louilarpprasert and Dr. Kenneth Thompson, guest artist/conductor

14.00 Workshop 3: Pastoral/industrial Composition (Improvisation) moderated by Dr. Joel F. Kirk

15.00 Workshop 4: Composition Masterclass moderated by Dr. Joel F. Kirk

16.00 Asian Cultural Exchange: Special Concert and Talk performed by Kul-Gänte, international guest performers Music by Shunsuke Azuma, Daiske Kinoshita, Piyawat Louilarpprasert, Mizuki Aita, Nattakorn Lertwattanaruk

17.30 End

15 JUNE

10.00 Panel Discussion 2: Composing with Pastoral and Industrial Cultures moderated by Dr. Piyawat Louilarpprasert and Dr. Joel F. Kirk

12.30 Reception

14.00 Concert: Industrial/Pastoral/Sonorous performed by Young Thai Ensemble, Kul-Gänte Ensemble, Dr. Kenneth Thompson, guest conductor Music by Joel F. Kirk (composer in residence), with Mahakit Mahaniranon, Alric Godfrey, Thanakarn Schofield, Tanawat Naruepai, Mizuki Aita curated by Piyawat Louilarpprasert

16.00 End

PERFORMANCES

14 JUNE 2024, 16.00, Performance 1: Asian Cultural Exchange

Artists: Kul-Gänte, international ensemble (Japan)

Décalcomanie im Fall von G.Bizet "Menuetde L'Arlésienne" for flute-headjoint, Guitar with slide Shunsuke AZUMA

Canzona di ringraziamento per flauto

Epigramm VI

Drey Minnelieder

Salvatore Sciarrino

Rene Eespere

Frank Martin

Remains of Once-Blooming Waters for mixed quintet Nattakon Lertwattanaruk

have themselves for ensemble and more Piyawat Louilarpprasert

Hibiya for ensemble Mizuki Aita

15 JUNE 2024, 14.00, Performance 2: Industrial/Pastoral/Sonorous

Artists: Young Thai Contemporary Ensemble, Kul-Gänte, Dr. Kenneth Thompson, guest conductor

Joel F. Kirk, composer in residence, Piyawat Louilarpprasert, curator

Part I: Portrait Concert of Joel Frederick Kirk, composer in residence

aged memories of a distant windmill (2024) for violin solo

charcoal striations; particulates of dust (2024) for bass flute solo

ssssssmogggggg (2024) for tuba/percussion duo

TI-RE-TI-KE-BUZZ-TAP (2024) for bass clarinet, bass flute and percussion

whirligig (2023) for violin and piano

sinkhole (2024) bass flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, tuba*

Part II: New Commissions of Local Composers and Collective Composition

Bufferless (2024) for Tuba with amplifier, contact mic and modular synth effect*

Vulgar (2024) for violin solo*

Machos Halo (2024) for bass clarinet and cello*

Mahakit Mahaniranon

Alric Godfrey

Thanakarn Schofield

Anti-memes (2024) for mixed ensemble* Tanawat Naruepai

“Flower Chopper”: Industrial/Pastoral Composition

Joel F. Kirk/ Collective Composition

*Commissioned by the support of British Council: Connection through Culture (CTC)

BIOGRAPHIES:

CTC Artist (Thailand)

Piyawat Louilarpprasert is a Thai composer and curator who works with the interweave of music composition, visual art, and sound installation. Piyawat’s music explores possibilities of creating the amalgamation of sonic and visual arts, including integrating multimedia and music, deconstructing instruments' mechanism and physicality with sound production method, and involving Thai traditional music elements in new compositions. With performances spanning over 20 countries across Asia, Europe, and United States, Piyawat has received commissions and awards, including the Fromm Foundation Commission, Harvard University (Boston), the Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung Commission (DE), British Council Grant Prize (UK), 100th year Donaueschinger Musiktage (DE), KulturKontakt Residency by the Austrian Federal Chancellery (Austria), Best Music Award International Computer Music Conference (Shenzhen), Impuls Composer Commission (Graz), Artist in residence of Su dwestrundfunk (SWR) Experimental Studio (Freiburg). Piyawat is currently an Assistant Professor of Composition at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) and a curator at IntAct Festival (Thailand). www.piyawatmusic.com

Joel Kirk is an English composer of contemporary classical chamber music. He holds a PhD in music composition from the University at Buffalo, where he studied as a Presidential Fellow. Inspired by the post-industrial landscapes of rural northern England, Joel’s work explores interactions between people, spaces, instruments, and technology through various mediated circumstances. Joel has received numerous awards and fellowships for his academic, artistic, and pedagogical work. Recent accolades include Ensemble Écoute's 2023 Young Composer Commission, alongside the John Golland Award and a prestigious ASCAP Morton Gould Award in 2022. He was also a finalist for the 2023 MATA Festival and received a nomination for a 2024 American Academy of Arts and Letters Award. Joel’s work has been performed in five continents by internationally renowned ensembles such as the Divertimento Ensemble (Italy), Ensemble Écoute (France), Tempus Konnex (Germany), Barcelona Modern (Spain), the SEM Ensemble (USA), ensemble Suono Gialo (Italy), Tacet(i) Ensemble (Thailand), loadbang (USA), Talujon Percussion (USA), Percussion Duo Moitié (South Korea), and Percutissimo (Romania). He has also received grants from national level organizations such as the British Arts Council and Sacem. https://joelkirkcomposer.com/

CTC Artist (UK)

Composers:

Thanakarn Schofield is a Thai composer whose works explore the fusion of sonic ritual and drama. His works also search for the amalgamation of multicultural influences, alongside the integration of both traditional and contemporary methodologies, with a particular emphasis on the geographical sonic elements and the sound of machines. His compositions have been featured in more than 15 countries and performed by renowned ensembles: Hezarfen Ensemble (Türkiye), Hong Kong New Music Ensemble (Hong Kong), Klangforum Wien (Austria), Kluster 5 (Netherlands), Linea Ensemble (France), Mivos Quartet (USA), Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (Russia), Orkest de Ereprijs (Netherlands), Tacet(i) Ensemble (Thailand), TAK Ensemble (USA), and others. Thanakarn was awarded with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Prize 2017 (Thailand), St. Frank van der Wal Fonds Prize 2020 (Netherlands), Yokohama International Composition Call for Score 2016 (Japan), Princess Galyani Vadhana Youth Orchestra Call for Score 2021 (Thailand), and Fromm Foundation Fellowship 2024 (USA), among others.

Mahakit Mahaniranon is a Thai composer-performer who plays piano and modular synthesizer. He has a passion for music/art and his multifaceted practice combines performance, composition, improvisation, sound of traditional Thai music and electroacoustic elements into an eclectic but individual musical expression. Never stopping to innovate and expand the scope of his work has led to a search for a sound incorporating acoustic elements, synthesizer and digital processes. Mahakit was part of the foley team for the animated film “Krut: The Himmaphan Warriors”, released in cinemas in Thailand in 2019 and currently available on Netflix in Thailand. He was also selected for the “Call for Artists 2022 and 2023”. Received funding for a performance and The Best Creative Idea Prize in 2023 for the performance by the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music, Thailand. In addition, he was selected as an Artist in Residence 2023 and 2024 at Elektronmusikstudion EMS, Stockholm, Sweden, a studio for professional composers and sound artists in the field of electroacoustic music and sound art. In 2024, The University of the Art Singapore (UAS), LASALLE College of the Arts invited Mahakit as an Artist in Residence to continue the development of his work “Twilight Phenomena” as part of the Music Research in Singapore Symposium 2024” held at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. www.mahakit-m.com

Originally from Bangkok, Nattakon Lertwattanaruk (b. 2006) is a Thai composer and performer whose musical works primarily explore ecological dichotomies between anthropogenic and natural environments through stark juxtapositions of sonic extremities, the extension of instruments, and gradually-paced transmutations of musical gestures. Prior to his undergraduate studies, he primarily studied composition with Thai composer Dr. Piyawat Louilarpprasert. He is a Distinguished Prize recipient of the 2022 SCG Young Thai Artist Award and has collaborated with ensembles such as Tacet(i) Ensemble, the Thai Youth Orchestra, and the Eastman Musica Nova. His works have been performed at festivals such as Thailand New Music and Arts Symposium, IntAct Festival, Princess Galyani Vadhana International Music Festival, and China ASEAN Music Festival. Nattakon is currently pursuing a B.M. in composition at the Eastman School of Music, where he studies under Dr. Daniel Pesca. www.nattakonmusic.com

Tanawat Naruepai Is a Thai composer, His interest in music started in 2020 during his high school years and started pursuing a path in music composition shortly after. He has been studying at the Mahidol college of music, majoring in composition, under Dr. Tyler Capp, having previously studied under Dr. Narong Prangcharoen. His interests mainly lie in the acoustic sound world, focusing on Asian’s musical cultures, especially the great musical sound of Buddhist chant. His musical output is then a kind of contemporary transformation and combination of the fascinating Asian sound, and his works also touch greatly on the conceptualisation of non-musical ideas in musical form. His work “Bisexuality Deer Decapitation for mixed ensemble” has been premiered by the tacet(i) ensemble late last year (2023).

Alric Samuel Godfrey (b.1997, India) has had a keen interest in music from a young age, but no formal training in it, starting off by self-learning to play the guitar at the age of 14. He grew up without exposure to serious music until the age of 16 when he was asked to present on Beethoven' life for a school project. Since then he became very interested in composing music. Before entering the College of Music to formally study music, he completed a degree in Business Administration at the Madras Christian College, while he concurrently studied music theory with Mr. Augustine Paul. Eager to join a composition course, he had begun studies in composition with Dr. Jason Thorpe Buchanan at the College of Music, Mahidol University in 2020. He then began his composition studies with Dr. Tyler Capp towards the end of 2022 and completed his studies with him after finishing his course at the College of Music, Mahidol University in 2024. He is eager to continue his master’s in music composition with Dr. Piyawat Louilarpprasert at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in this Fall. As he continues his studies, he ambitiously looks forward to exploring new projects that will satisfy his diverse artistic interests.

Mizuki AITA was born in 1988 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As a percussionist, he has premiered over 300 new works. He has performed in Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and France. He has also been active as a composer in recent years, using his music as a theme for activities that explore folklore, passion, and encounters, and expressing in music the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures, Solitude of living city people.

Young Thai Contemporary Ensemble:

Patumwan Piensub (Wanorn) was born on October 21, 2001, in Bangkok, Thailand. He started playing the flute for the first time at the age of 13 in the Suthiwararam Concert and Marching Band at Suthiwararam High School, under the guidance of Ajarn Soraphot Worasaeng and a senior student instructor. Later, at the age of 16, he joined the Honor Music Program at Wat Suthiwararam High School and took flute lessons with Ajarn Woraphon Kanveerayothin. In 2020, he attended the College of Music, Mahidol University, and studied flute with Ajarn Hiroshi Matsushima. Currently, he is a member of the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music Youth Orchestra (PYO) and the Siam Sinfonietta, where he holds the position of Principal Flute.

Born in 1992 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Guntiga Comenaphatt began her cello journey at 11 under Assist. Prof. Sompong Wongdee. She graduated from Mahidol University in 2018 with a master's degree in Music Performance and Pedagogy. Under mentors like Prof. Arens Rolf-Dieter, Prof. Stefanie Waegner, and Juris Lakutis, she excelled, winning awards like the Princess Galyani Vadhana International Ensemble Competition and the OSAKA International Music Competition. Notably, she showcased her solo talent at the 8th Karl Davidov International Cello Competition in Latvia. From 2008 to 2022, Guntiga played with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra and is a key member of the Thailand New Music and Arts Organization (TMAO). She toured Europe with the orchestra, performing at prestigious venues, and also played with The Yayasan Musik Amadeus Indonesia. In December 2023, she participated in the International Composition Institute of Thailand, ending the year by performing at the Int-Act festival "Making Things" with TMAO. Guntiga's journey is defined by her dedication to excellence and her impact on classical and contemporary music, establishing her as a leading figure in the global music scene.

KERKSAKUL

JAREE, a native of Ayutthaya, Thailand, is a versatile pianist known for his multifaceted talents in composition, transcription, experimentation, and improvisation. With a passion for collaboration, he excels as a collaborative pianist, demonstrating exceptional proficiency with instruments such as strings, woodwinds, and brass. His extensive experience as a collaborative pianist has seen him become a stalwart companion to numerous young musicians and students on stage, consistently contributing to their success in national and international music competitions including HKYPAF, Osaka Music Competition, and SET Music Competition, among others. Notably, his exceptional performance earned him the Gold Medal at the SET Music Competition in 2012, leading to his triumphant debut with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra in 2013. In this debut, he mesmerized audiences with his rendition of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor before a captivated full house. Kerk-sakul embarked on his piano journey at the age of 11 and later studied under the tutelage of Ruetaitip Patricia Bhasuk. He was accepted into the pre-college program at Mahidol University’s College of Music (B.M.) in 2007, where he had the privilege of working with distinguished mentors such as Sebastien Koch, Dr. Nopanand Chanorathaikul, and Dr. Wen-Hui Lily Lin. Subsequently, he pursued advanced studies at the Faculty of Music, Silpakorn University (M.M.) focusing on Performance and Pedagogy. Currently, Kerk-sakul serves as a pianist, keyboardist, and electronics performer with the Tacet(i) Contemporary Ensemble, where he continues to explore innovative avenues in contemporary music expression, enriching the cultural landscape with his creative contributions.

Saksilpa Srisukson started playing the violin when he was seven with Natnucha Sasipurana. Later on, he studied the viola under the supervision of Thosaporn Pothong. Saksilpa was a Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music Youth Orchestra (PYO) member during the first season in 2013. He participated in the 47th Darmstadt New Music Festival 2014 in Darmstadt with Anothai Nitibhon and Peter Veale, and ever since stuck in the realm of complexities and abstractions. He has also been awarded the second prize as a violist for the Melodio Piano Quartet in Princess Galyani Vadhana International Ensemble Competition 2015. He has also performed in various concerts, musicals and recitals, with genres ranging from contemporary music, musical theatres, mariachis, and Thai pop oldies. Aside from music, he is interested in philosophy, mathematics, physics, and their intersections. After his undergraduate studies in physics at Chulalongkorn University, he read for Part III of the Mathematical Tripos at the University of Cambridge. Alongside solving equations for strings theory, his violin strings vibrate for the Cambridge University Orchestra and has been a guest player for numerous ensembles in Cambridge throughout the year.

Sakda Pharchumcharna, a Thai tubist from Bangkok, Thailand, specializes in classical and contemporary music, actively contributing as a new music tuba player. He graduated with a B.M. from the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music (PGVIM) in performance under the guidance of Mr. Thunyawat Thangtrakul, earning a full scholarship. During his undergraduate studies, Sakda was selected for the PGVIM scholarship exchange program to work and study in Germany with Ensemble Musikfabrik. Under the mentorship of Peter Veale (conductor) and Melvyn Poore (tuba), he enhanced his skills and broadened his musical horizons. Sakda has participated in numerous music festivals and competitions, including the Asia Brass Festival Tuba & Euphonium in China, the Asia Brass Festival Tuba & Euphonium Competition in Korea, and the Princess Galyani Vadhana International Ensemble Competition in Thailand. Dedicated to continuous improvement, Sakda attended masterclasses with renowned tubists such as Roger Bobo, Anne Jelly, Perry Hoogendijk, Sergio Carolino, and Jenes Bjorn Larsen. As an aspiring young performer, he has received awards, including the 2nd prize in the Call for Soloist competition (Princess Galyani Vadthana Youth Wind Orchestra) in 2020 and the 3rd prize in the Asia Brass Festival Tuba & Euphonium Competition in China. Currently, Sakda Pharchumcharna is a member of the Thai contemporary ensemble, Tacet(i), contributing to the dynamic landscape of new music

The recipient of best Thai performer in Jean Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition 2017 and Selmer Saxophone Artist (Paris), Pisol Manatchinapisit has been awarded several prizes and honors such as Prix Walo-Sprungbrett 2017 (Switzerland), 3rd prize Asian saxophone competition 2016 (Taiwan), 2nd prize Osaka International Music Competition 2014 (Japan) and Gold Medal, Settrade Music Competition 2013 (Thailand). He also participated and performed in several music festivals such as Eurosax 2014 (Spain), Vienna International Saxfest 2016 (Austria), World Saxophone congress 2015 (France) and 2018 (Croatia), The 2nd Asia Saxophone Congress 2019 (China), Saxtronic in Space, The Pavillon Le Corbusier 2019 (Switzerland), Hearing Visibilities: Multimedia Music and Art Performances 2019 (USA), ZHdk Saxophone Quartet, Embassy of Switzerland in the Republic of Korea 2019 (South Korea), Lange Nacht, Artikulationen in der zeitgenössischen Musik 2019 (Switzerland), Musikpodium der Stadt Zürich – Hommage à Armin Schibler (Switzerland), Biennial – Cornell University 2022 (Ithaca, U.S.), Asian Pacific Saxophone Academy 2023 (Thailand). With an ardent advocate of new music, Pisol works largely on acoustical contemporary music and music technology by new works of new composers and also himself. Recently, he is collaborating with emerging Thai composer, Piyawat Louilarpprasert. The past projects included Vienna Saxfest 2016 (Vienna), Tesselat Composer Collective 2018 (Osaka) and “Pixel for saxophone and orchestra” with Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra 2019 (Thailand).

Christhatai Paksamai was a professor of Clarinet at Zhaoqing University, College of Music in Zhaoqing, China from 2015-2019. She was also a member of Beijing Contemporary Soloist in Beijing, China, Thailand Symphony Orchestra and Tacet(i) Ensemble. In 2016 Ms. Paksamai received her Master of Arts Degree from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Where she studied with Dr. Yos Vaneesorn. Previously to this she lived in Paris, France for 3 years where she received a certificate of performance from Conservatoire à Rayonnement régional de Versailles. She studied with Mr. Philippe Cuper from 2011-2014 and was the recipient of a scholarship. Also in her time in Paris she studied Bass Clarinet at Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental Marcel Dadi de Créteil with Mr Philippe Olivier Devaux. Her undergraduate degree was from Mahidol University, College of Music where she received a full scholarship and graduated with first class honors. Her professor was Cassandra Fox- Percival. Since 2024 She is Symphonic Ensemble Band Director in College of Music, Mahidol University. Ms. Paksamai is a member of Tacet(i) Ensemble, a group of Thai contemporary musicians with strong intention to lead the new music scene in Thailand. She is an Artist of the Triebert France Ligature and Buffet Crampon Thailand.

Kantapong Rakbankerd is a prominent Thai contemporary percussionist currently serving as a Music Instructor at the Department of Music, Udon Thani Rajabhat University, Thailand and the main member of the Tacet(i) Ensemble. During his tenure from 2013 to 2015, Kantapong served as a full-time percussionist with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, honing his skills across various musical genres including Popular Music, Jazz Music, Classical Music, and Contemporary Music. Recognized for his prowess as a marimba player, Kantapong achieved acclaim as one of the five finalists of the Conrad Young Musician of Thailand in 2009. He has had the privilege of participating in marimba masterclasses led by esteemed marimbists such as Momoko Kamiya, Seung Myeong Oh, Peter Vulperhorst, Robyn Schulkowsky, Dr. John W. Park, Katarzyna Mycka, and Wei-Chen Lin. Presently, Kantapong continues to collaborate with music composers, arrangers, and contemporary artists from Thailand and various countries, further enriching his musical repertoire and contributing to the vibrant cultural landscape of the global music scene.

Noppakorn Auesirinucroch is a guitarist and interactive performer whose work integrates music and sound studies with approaches from interdisciplinary art, multisensory perception, cross-modality, and multimedia. Over the past years, Noppakorn dedicated himself to advocating a new music community in Thailand and abroad by collaborating with a large number of local and international artists, performers and music-makers. His current research, "Innovative Practice of Enhancing Musical Perception", in collaboration with Charles Michel, a former chef in residence at Oxford University's Experimental Psychology Department, was highly recognized and selected for publication in the Netherlands Research Catalogue. The research is focusing on designing multisensory performance with an emphasis on sound-taste associations and crossmodal correspondences a review on the process of creating a flavour musical piece for solo guitar in collaboration with a prominent Thai composer, Piyawat Louilarpprasert, has been elaborated. He obtained his BMus and MMus degrees with the absolute highest distinction in classical guitar performance from the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague, Netherlands, under the instruction of Enno Voorhorst and Zoran Dukic. Noppakorn had studied with prominent artists, including Roland Dyens, Costas Cotsiolis, Raphaella Smiths, Xuefei Yang, Aniello Desiderio and Duo Melis. Noppakorn is currently serving as a director of Tacet(i), Southeast Asia's leading new music ensemble, and an artistic director of the IntAct Festival 2021-22 and Co-Director of IntAct Festival 2023-24.

Siravith Kongbandalsuk is an artist based in Thailand, with a primary focus on exploring the diverse realm of sound. With a background as a music performer, Siravith pushes the boundaries of traditional and contemporary music practices, engaging in interdisciplinary, theatrical, improvisational, electronic/electroacoustic, and interactive multimedia performances. Additionally, Siravith possesses a deep curiosity for uncovering the possibilities of sound creation within the context of composition, music performance, instruments, and installation. Siravith has been participating and performing at several music events, including Bangkok Design Week 2024, International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) 2023, Cornell Council of Arts Biennial Project, Cornell University, Kultur Kontakt Austria, Tokyo Media Interaction, Asian Composers League, Princess Galyania Vadhana International Symposium, Thailand International Composition Festival and Thailand New Music and Arts Symposium. Besides, Siravith Kongbandalsuk was awarded in several international music competitions, such as the Brass and Percussion Seminar and Solo Competition 2013 (Thailand), the Svirel International Music Competition 2016 (Slovenia), the Ian Bousfield Tenor Trombone Competition 2017 organized by the British Trombone Society (UK). Siravith obtained a Bachelor’s degree in classical trombone performance at College of Music, Mahidol University, Thailand and a Master’s degree in music performance at Conservatorium Maastricht, Netherlands. Currently, Siravith is a full-time lecturer and vice dean of school of music at the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music (PGVIM) in Bangkok.

Guest Performers:

Dr. Kenneth Thompson currently serves as professor in the College of Musical Arts at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. His responsibilities include conducting ensembles in the wind band area, teaching graduate and undergraduate conducting, repertoire and pedagogy. Additionally, he serves on the conducting staff of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Wu Family Academy where he directs the DSO Civic Wind Symphony and the CYE Philharmonic Orchestra. A graduate of Limestone College (SC) with a double major in music education and trumpet, Thompson received a master's degree in music education and doctorate in conducting from The University of Iowa. Previous professional appointments include Artistic Director and Conductor of the Toledo Symphony Youth Orchestras and associate conductor of the St. Louis Wind Symphony and Chamber Winds. He has conducted numerous performances of world premieres, commissions, television and radio broadcasts and critically acclaimed recordings. With publications in the Journal of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Journal of Band Research, Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, School Band and Orchestra Magazine, Journal of the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association, The Instrumentalist, Bandmusic PDF Archives and the BCM International Web Archive, Dr. Thompson maintains a reputation as both a scholar and performer. He has appeared as a guest conductor, lecturer or clinician for the International Society for Music Education, the National Conference of the College Band Directors National Association, the National Conference of the MENC, the Texas, Virginia, Michigan, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, West Virginia, Ohio and Missouri Music Educators Association conferences, the Missouri Bandmasters conference, the Midwest Composers Symposium and the Iowa Center for New Music. In demand as a guest conductor and lecturer, Thompson maintains an active schedule with engagements throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia.

Dr. Thompson is an advocate of new music and expanding the repertoire available for wind bands and orchestras. He has been involved in numerous commissions and/or premiere performances for both bands and orchestras. Along with commercial recordings receiving votes in the Grammy™ Entry List appearance for Album of the Year; Best Engineered Album, Classical, and Best Orchestral Performance, critics have written the following about Dr. Thompson’s work.

Contemporary music ensemble Kul-Gänte was founded by musicians with the same mind who actively perform in the contemporary music scene in Japan in 2023. Kul-Gänte is trying to create the expression to go beyond the limits of genres. voice: Kaori Murata, guitar:Yusuke Jimbo, flute:KINO-SHITA Daiske.

Kaori Murata, (Mezzo Soprano), is originally from Japan, and graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music, Department of Vocal Music. She completed the Hamburger Konservatorium Aufbaustudium with the highest score unanimously agreed by the judges. After making her debut as a soloist in Schubert's oratorio "Magnificat" in Hamburg, she has performed with various orchestras. In addition to be a soloist in religious music, she has also appeared in many lieder evenings and opera gala concerts in Germany. She has a wide repertoire ranging from classical to contemporary songs, and is known for her smooth midrange. She founded and serves as the representative of Minne Stimme, a song and language research institute, in order to research the expressive possibilities of the human voice and convey the joy of music to people. In 2022, her first time recital for returning to Japan was well received. After returning to Japan, in addition to playing the role of Kitakaze in the opera "North Wind and the Sun'' and performing at an opera gala concert, she has been actively engaged in holding workshops and music reading dramas selected by the Agency for Cultural Affairs' arts support project "ARTS for the future!2''. She is also Arts Council Kanazawa Artist Bank registered artist.

KINO-SHITA Daiske (flutist, composer) was born in 1977 in Kanazawa, Japan. He pursued his music studies at Hamburger Konservatorium, Toho Orchestra Academy and Hochschule für Musik und Künste, Bremen.

KINO-SHITA received numerous prizes and scholarships, including the Asahi Contemporary Music Competition (jury special prize), the Ishikawa Prefecture Dispatched Overseas Program, and residency scholarship by Tokyo Wonder Site. KINO-SHITA was the principal flutist of Guiyang Symphony Orchestra, Associate Professor of Tokyo Seitoku College, and musical director of Kanazawa Citizen's Art Center. Currently, he is the chairman of Asian Contemporary Music Society (ADOK) , the flutist of Beijing Contemporary Soloists and musical director of Arts Council Kanazawa.

Yusuke Jimbo (Guitarist) was born in Toyama, Japan. He has started to learn guitar at age of eleven. After he graduated from music course of Kureha high school, he enterd Cologne Music University where he receiverd diploma in 2011. He continued to study in Karlsruhe and finished Master of Music in 2013. He has studied with Takashi Aitani, Tadashi Sasaki, Andreas von Wangenheim. He has teached guitar at various music schools in Germany and he teaches guitar currently in his hometown, Toyama.

Program Notes:

Performance 1: Asian Cultural Exchange

This concert was co-curated by members of Tacet(i) and Kul-Gänte, aiming to foster cultural exchange within the Asian region. The music presented reflects the intersection of pastoral and industrial themes, exploring how humans perceive and create music using the technology they have developed. The collection offers a diverse range of sonic heritage, from traditional sounds to audiosculpt and conceptual pieces. Following this project, the collaboration will continue with additional performances in Kanazawa and Komatsu, Japan.

Shunsuke AZUMA

Décalcomanie im Fall von G.Bizet "Menuetde L'Arlésienne" for flute-headjoint, Guitar with slide

Decalcomania is an artistic technique where paint is applied to paper, which is then folded in half or pressed with another sheet of paper to spread the paint. When the paper is opened, each sheet displays slightly different patterns. This method produces random and unexpected patterns, contrary to the creator's intentions or predictions, and is considered one of the artistic techniques that seeks to reveal the creator's "unconscious" or deep psychology. I have always been interested in visual themes, such as the possibility of visualizing sound and music. This curiosity led me to wonder, "If sound were visible, what shape would it take?" Inspired by this, I composed this piece by imagining what kind of patterns (sounds) would emerge if existing music were treated like paint and spread out like in decalcomania. (See the example of the image of sound spreading). To better express the concept of 'spread sound,' the flutist performs using only the head joint of the flute, and the guitarist uses a slide bar, which allows the pitch to glide smoothly. What kind of random patterns will emerge from the spread melodies and chords composed by Bizet? And how will they form into new music?

Salvatore Sciarrino

Canzona di ringraziamento per flauto

Salvatore Sciarrino's Canzona di Ringraziamento (Song of Thanksgiving) stands as a testament to the expressive potential of the solo flute. Composed in 1985, this brief yet evocative work (lasting approximately seven minutes) is dedicated to the Italian composer Goffredo Petrassi, Sciarrino's mentor and friend.

Rene Eespere

Epigramm VI

Epigram VI (2004) for soprano, flute and guitar is based on a text by the Roman poet Ovidius. It encourages one to live one’s life in haste, because time is ticking and the body is withering

Frank Martin

Drey Minnelieder

Drey Minnelieder sets three poems from the Middle High German tradition known as Minnelieder, which translates to "love songs." The specific poems and their author(s) remain unidentified. Martin, a Swiss composer known for his neoclassical approach, sets these texts for soprano and piano (alternative versions exist with different chamber accompaniments). The work showcases his melodic lyricism within a framework that acknowledges the influence of twelve- tone serialism.

Nattakon Lertwattanaruk

Remains of Once-Blooming Waters for mixed quintet

Hypoxic (oxygen-depleted) areas in lakes and oceans are characterized as dead zones. They are the result of eutrophication: an over-abundance of nutrients typically caused by intensive agriculture and industrial activities. These excess nutrients washed into the waters allow algae to grow uncontrollably. This results in algal blooms, where photosynthesizing organisms would spread to cover the surface, preventing sunlight and oxygen from reaching the aquatic life below. As the ecosystem breaks apart, algal blooms will soon die off. This work seeks to create an impression of a once over-populated soundscape overflowing with activity. It is grotesque, disjointed, and immobile. We become the observers of the aftermath of processes we do not recall igniting. After this explosion of life, we are left only to pick up the remains of once-blooming waters.

Piyawat Louilarpprasert have themselves for ensemble and more have themselves" (2024) explores the concept of self-determination, inviting performers to improvise with given materials to create a self-portrait through forms, sounds, and interpretation. This piece draws inspiration from the Thai traditional bamboo instrument, the Khaen, known for its ability to produce multiple layers of sound simultaneously from different positions and partials, creating rich harmonies and gestures. In this work, I reinterpret the Khaen's organizational principles through a personal structure. The piece consists of six events, from which performers can choose to begin. Designed for a 9-minute performance, each event offers three distinct pathways for the performer to continue, allowing the piece to unfold in various ways until the time concludes, much like the dynamic and layered performances of the Khaen. The piece was written for Tacet(i) and Kul-Gänte for the OCAC Project 2024, “Bamboo Dialogues: From Khaen to Sho,” and premiered alongside the CTC Project at River City in Bangkok, with subsequent performances in Kanazawa and Komatsu, Japan in this June.

Mizuki Aita Hibiya for ensemble

In mid-April, I received a message via messenger from Piyawat, a composer I respect, asking if I would write a sextet for vocals, flute, saxophone, trombone, and two guitars. Even though I had no idea what to do, I accepted the offer without hesitation because of the attractive atmosphere of the two concerts, one in Bangkok and one in Kanazawa. No matter how great my own music becomes, I wanted to breathe that atmosphere, and I was also fed up with the fact that I hadn't left Japan for six years due to the turmoil of Covid-19, so I decided to accept the offer. It happened.

The poet Kyojiro Hagiwara (1899-1938), who lived like a whirlwind during the pre-war period, is said to be the pioneer of Dadaism in Japan. More than that, I felt that the rap-like sound of the poem ``Hibiya'' was relevant to today. I continued writing with the hope that I could play a role in this uniquely organized concert. As I continued to write, for some reason I found myself constantly remembering my friend, composer Hikari Kiyama (b.1983), whose whereabouts have not been known for several years. This was a rare occurrence when I was composing music. I felt like I had fun walking the streets of Hibiya with Mr. Kiyama, and sometimes I didn't, but for some reason I couldn't get the afterimage of Mr. Kiyama living his life in such a hurry from my mind. ``Once you're over 30, you're just a exhausted person,'' Kiyama declares carefreely, so I wonder what kind of landscape he sees now. I was thinking about whether I was seeing a landscape that was invisible to someone like me, who started writing music at the age of 30 in late school, and while I was thinking about that, I wrote this piece, which is about 5 minutes long.

Performance 2: Industrial/Pastoral/Sonorous

Part I: Portrait Concert of Joel Frederick Kirk, composer in residence Program Notes by Joel Kirk:

The Lowry Cycle

The collection of pieces you will hear programmed in today’s concert form a larger cycle of work named The Lowry Cycle The painter L.S. Lowry (1887-1976) was known for his evocative depictions of industrial landscapes in early/mid 20th Century London and Manchester (UK). As a native of Manchester and its surrounding areas, Lowry’s paintings have always resonated deeply with me as remnants of a non-so-distant past experienced by my ancestors. After the end of the Industrial Revolution, the sudden lack of industry weighed heavily on the prospects of the city, with many areas falling into disrepair. As a result, poverty and crime were at an all-time-high in the city right through to the Millenium. However, through the 21st Century thus far, areas of Manchester have transformed from postIndustrial wasteland to thriving hubs of gentrified activity. This cycle of pieces pays homage to the works of Lowry and the industrial heritage of the city. In doing so, it looks back on the struggles of history, and forward to hopes for the future.

aged memories of a distant windmill violin solo

This piece is one of a series inspired by the paintings of L.S. Lowry – in this case, “An Old Windmill, Almwich” (1941). The painting is evocative of many post-industrial scenes which provided the setting for my childhood in the rural areas surrounding Manchester, UK. Such scenes characterize the intersection of the mechanical and the pastoral during the time of the industrial revolution. This piece is a toccata of sorts, exploring shrouded, percussive gestures which are repeated and juxtaposed in various guises.

charcoal striations; particulates of dust bass flute solo

Despite Manchester being most famous for its cotton and textiles production during the Industrial Revolution, the mining of coal was also a major export with over 100 mines on the Manchester coalfield. This coal was disseminated around the UK via the city’s abundant system of canals. The burning of coal and other fossil fuels was essential for production during Manchester’s industrial years. L.S. Lowry’s 1937 painting “The Lake” vividly captures the dirt, grime, and soot billowing from factory chimneys afar. Smog permeates the air, clinging to any and all matter it can find - earth, water, and organic body alike. This piece begins with a succession of multiphonics and aeolian sounds. Like coal being scraped across a surface, leaving a trail of charcoal particulates in its wake, these aeolian sounds and multiphonic pitches are diffused into complex, striated gestures and textures. These textures effuse murky smogscapes and burbling cesspools of waste.

“An Old Windmill, Almwich” – L.S. Lowry (1941)

“The Lake” – L.S. Lowry (1937)”

ssssssmogggggg

tuba/percussion duo

“The factory was menacing in the distance, for it was one of the few buildings that somehow managed to present itself through the smog. Its hulking form consumed almost all of the horizon, and its many pistons, pillars, chimneys and flumes ate into the heavens. For the parts of the sky it could not reach, those towers sent up endless streams of smoke, and this smoke devoured the natural clouds and left an unnatural haze in the heavens. The factory was a greedy mass of brick, a ravenous form of iron. As much as it gobbled up all the landscape, it threatened that it might eat the onlookers too.” - Dean F. Wilson, Hopebreaker (2014

whirligig

violin/piano duo

TI-RE-TI-KE-BUZZ-TAP

bass clarinet/bass flute/percussion

A whirligig is is an object that spins or whirls, or has at least one part that spins or whirls. These two pieces – whirlgig (violin/piano duo) and TI-RE-TI-KE-BUZZTAP (clarinet, flute, percussion trio) feature playful, repetitive use of fragments from other pieces in this cycle. Evocative of industrial processes in the factory, these fragments are layered and churned itself through unsettled, shifting forms of pops, squeaks, grinds, buzzings, and glitches.

sinkhole

bass flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, tuba (new commission by CTC)

Sinkholes form as acidic rainwater seeps through cracks in the ground, dissolving the limestone underneath and forming networks of ever-expanding cavities and voids. Eventually, the land surface above collapses or sinks into the cavities or when surface material is carried downward into the murky subterranean depths. Many sinkholes are natural, but often they are created and exacerbated by human industrial activates. This has often led to devastation in urban and suburban areas where sinkholes, left unchecked and untreated for too long, suddenly collapse. The opening of this piece – sinkhole for quintet – features a soundscape of dense, pressurized sound. The molten state of this soundscape is relentlessly explored through various processes of repetition and permutation. Simultaneously, the molten sound is crushed into a gaseous, skeletal husk of itself. By the end of the piece, the fossilized remnants have re-crystallized into a glimmering, petrified echo of its initial state. sinkhole was commissioned with the support of the British Arts Council Connections Through Culture initiative. It was premiered as part of the Sonic Sculpt new music initiative at River City, Bangkok.

“A Riverbank” – L.S. Lowry (1941)

“Mill Scene” – L.S. Lowry (1959)

Part II: New Commissions of Local Composers and Collective Composition

Bufferless (2024) for Tuba with amplifier, contact mic and modular synth effect

Mahakit Mahaniranon

Bufferless is inspired by creating the normal sounds to have less normal through the process of using the sound of a tuba combined with modular sound effects until a strange sound appeared. The composer expects this song to be a kind of simple but is secretly chaotic as the life in which it seems very calm but hidden in chaos from unexpected or unpredictable situations.

Vulgar (2024) for violin solo*

Alric Godfrey

Vulgar meditations is a piece that emanate two very contrasting ideas. Meditation is generally seen as a calm, reserved and refined activity but how then can it be vulgar. In this piece one can find an almost meditative atmosphere but timid, distracting and boisterous at the same time. This can easily be seen when clear drawn out notes suddenly begin to slowly transform to harsh scratch tones; a slow and calm tempo suddenly becomes impatient; sudden rapid gestures; delicate but timid like textures. This piece in a sense is an expression of our minds as we attempt to participate in activities that require high-mindedness while battling our most natural and true selves: the primitive animal. There is always that vulgar psyche within us, we just pretend to not notice it.

Machos Halo (2024) for bass clarinet and cello*

Thanakarn Schofield

This piece has no program note.

Anti-memes (2024) for mixed ensemble*

Tanawat Naruepai

Anti-Memes: is an abbreviation of Anti-Memetic which is a conceptual idea evolved from the “Memetic Theory” which is a Darwinian theory of cultural evolution based on “memes” a unit of culture. Memes is a term coined by biologist Richard Dawkins, memes is an idea, behavior, information that spread, mutate and self-replicate shaped by the selective environment around them. Anti-memes is the opposite of a meme, an idea that can’t be spread, can’t be contained, “a self-kept secret”. This piece seeks to explore said concept in musical form, a piece that is actively trying to escape your memory.

“Flower Chopper”: Industrial/Pastoral Composition

Joel F. Kirk/ Collective Composition

The performance will conclude with an improvisational piece inspired by the concept of Collective Composition. Our composer-in-residence, Joel F. Kirk, will collaborate with participants, the audience, and performers through workshops and rehearsals. This process will culminate in a unique performance that reflects both pastoral and industrial concepts and their sonic complexity

Generously supported by

British Council Grants: Connection Through Cultures

Huge Thanks

Wanna Film Thailand

P.R. Equipment Rentals

River City Bangkok

RCB Experimental Art Lab

Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music

Dr. Kenneth Thompson (BGSU)

Young Thai Contemporary Musicians and Kul-Gänte