Over the years, I have been commissioning and performing contemporary music compositions by Thai composers to both audiences in Thailand and abroad, with an ambition to present Thai traditional music idioms to the western music world through the classical-style compositions for the flutes.

 

This music collection is intended to be the archive of major classical flute compositions by Thai composers of the 21st century. It is the first-ever recorded collection of its kind. The composers were able to aesthetically involve Thai traditional musical elements in their classical-style compositions, creating the enjoyable, yet profound pieces of music in this collection. Performance requires both established techniques of the players as well as a deep understanding of the characteristics of Thai musical heritage. The cultural crossover in this collection makes it unique and interesting. It is designed to be widely enjoyed by international audiences.

 

The compositions in this collection are as follows: M.Cherdchoo-ngarm’s Sonata for Piccolo and Piano, M.Cherdchoo-ngarm’s Sonatine for Flute and Piano, A. Jantarawirote’s Seeda for Flute and Piano, C. Mekara’s Rachapruck for flute solo, and K. Dilokkunanant’s Rumwong for flute ensemble. The musicians who took part in this project were Kalaya Phongsathorn (Flute, piccolo), Usa Napawan (Piano),Sumida Ansvananda (Piano),Morakot Cherdchoo-ngarm (piano), and the Million Wind Philharmonic flute section. Most of the compositions in this collection are the commissions of Kalaya Phongsathorn. The Sonatine and Sonata by M. Cherdchoo-ngarm both involve Thai traditional tunes such as Lao Kruan and Lao Krang. The composition of C. Mekara depicts the image of the Rachapruck flower and atmospheric scene in Chiang Mai with extensive use of extended techniques on the flute. Seeda was inspired by the scene from Ramayanawhen where Seeda proves her chastity by ordeal. Rumwong presents well-known traditional dance tunes by using six flutes to replicate the effects of Thai northeastern traditional musical instruments and ensembles.

 

This album is scheduled for release on online platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and Tidal in August 2022. To promote the album further, live performances and collaborations with art exhibitions have also been planned, including for example, a recital at Thailand International Composition Festival 2022 at College of Music Mahidol University on August 5, 2022, as well as the Songs of My Soul Tapestries of Kachamas Perez Art Exhibition at ATT19 Gallery in October 2022.