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Somtow Sucharitkul: Transcending borders with classical music
On stage: âSiam Sinfonietta has become a sort of ambassador for Thailandâs culture,â Somtow says
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On stage:: âSiam Sinfonietta has become a sort of ambassador for Thailandâs culture,â Somtow says. (Courtesy of Somtow Sucharitkul) (Courtesy of Somtow Sucharitkul)
On stage: 'Siam Sinfonietta has become a sort of ambassador for Thailand's culture,' Somtow says. (Courtesy of Somtow Sucharitkul)
Somtow Sucharitkul was a diplomat's son who spent much of his youth outside Thailand. He never dreamed that he would return home, found an orchestra of musicians ranging from 12 to 15 years old, and take them from Bangkok to Carnegie Hall in about four years.
The 62-year-old said his reintroduction to Thai arts came when he produced Madana, the first full-scale opera in the country, in 2000, to local and international acclaim.
A year later, he became a Buddhist monk and decided to stay in Thailand. 'I realized that this is the best place to grow as an artist. At the moment, this part of the world is the most exciting place to be artistic ' and part of it is because the audiences from the West have become jaded.'
Somtow says that he's been inspired by the nation's creativity. 'You can show a very intellectual thing here and people will actually watch it. In America, when you do an opera, you can't really do anything complex without people questioning how you are doing it. Here there is much more artistic freedom.'
His endeavors include the Siam Sinfonietta orchestra, which he runs to Western standards, including the audition process. 'Well, it is only about 15 minutes, but it is quite frightening,' Somtow says.
Aspirants must play several pieces, he adds. 'They have to able to read music very well, because we treat them exactly like a professional. We don't start to teach them the notes.'
Teaching classical music is not an exclusive Western practice, Somtow says. 'I want it to go beyond any national aspect.'
Somtow initially limited Siam Sinfonietta to pieces by Haydn and Mozart, eschewing the Romantics in favor of the basics. 'Without grasping the principals of classical music, you cannot play any other music.'
In the second year, Somtow challenged the orchestra by participating in international competitions, such as the prestigious Summa Cum Laude festival in Musikverein, Vienna, where it was the only Asian group in contention.
Siam Sinfonietta wowed the Austrian judges and came away with top honors, Somtow said. 'It created a complete change in the way that the musicians of Thailand were viewed by European audiences. From that point on, Siam Sinfonietta has become a sort of ambassador for Thai culture.'
Invitations to Europe and the US followed, culminating in the orchestra's bow at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June at the International Sounds of Summer Festival.
Somtow says that the orchestra has persevered, despite the recent tumult in Thailand's politics. 'The members of our orchestra come all from parts of society,' he says. 'This is an orchestra where children's parents might be Red shirts or Yellow shirts, but they don't feel that there's a problem. What they care about is the music.'
He continues. 'In the orchestra, kids learn to listen to each other. We wish the adults would do the same. Because in an orchestra, you cannot function unless everybody listens to everyone else.'
Finding sponsorship was not easy, at first. Somtow said he had to shame the government and private companies into supporting the orchestra. 'If the kids do not have an opportunity to learn here, then they will study abroad. After that they will end up living there and Thailand will lose our talented people.'
He wants his musicians to make careers in classical music. 'They can join the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra and start making a living.
Classical musical, he adds, 'is not only for the upper class and not only for Western people. The musicians can also have bright futures.'
Somtow had praise for Indonesian music, especially the nation's choir traditions. 'You actually have something that we don't have at all,' he said.
Indonesian choirs dominated his International Choir Festival held in Thailand and Somtow invited two Indonesian choirs to perform at the world premiere of his ballet-opera Mahajanaka in July: Vocalista Paradisso from Yogyakarta and Smansa Choir from Blitar, East Java.
Both choirs received silver and gold medals for their performances.
Talented Indonesian musicians would play important role in the development of classical music in Southeast Asia, Somtow said.
'Indonesia has been sort of treasure box that the West has ransacked musically. Many of the great movements of Western modern music are influenced by Indonesian music,' he adds. 'And yet nothing comes back, they take but they don't give back.'
