Khmer xylophone master keeps tradition alive

In Phnom Penh, musician Sour Vanna is dedicating his life to preserving Cambodia’s classical heritage through the Roneat Ek, the Khmer xylophone that leads traditional orchestras.

At 43, Vanna has been teaching at the Fine Arts Middle School since 2009, training young performers with rigorous technique and discipline. He stresses the importance of hand strength and balance, ensuring students strike with equal force using both mallets — a skill that defines mastery of the instrument.

The Roneat Ek holds a central role in Cambodia’s mahori and pinpeat ensembles, guiding the rhythm and structure of performances. Vanna insists that accurate teaching methods are vital to prevent the gradual loss of knowledge, warning against rote learning that neglects proper technique.

To safeguard the tradition, he is introducing musical notation into his classes, compiling documents so future generations can study and reference the music more effectively. “We want children to receive accurate information from one generation to the next so that it is not weakened,” he explained.

His efforts reflect a wider movement among Cambodian music schools to integrate notation into classical training, a step he believes will strengthen preservation. For Vanna, the mission is clear: to keep the Roneat Ek in tune with modern teaching while honouring centuries of Khmer tradition.

-2026-04-17