Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra - Dec. 21 & 22 "prokofiev & Shostakovitch"

[Stradavarius37]

Prokofiev & Shostakovich

The long, cold Russian winter is warmed up with compositions by Prokofiev and Shostakovich as Principal guest conductor Claude Villaret joins young Thai pianist Poom Prommachart in this final program of the year 2012. Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is paired with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in a program that is sure to inspire.

Concerts:

• 21 December 2012 / 7.00 p.m. / MACM
  
• 22 December 2012 / 4.00 p.m. / MACM
  

Conductor: Claude Villaret

Soloist: Poom Prommachart, Piano

Program:

• Thai Traditional Music
  
• Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 16
  
• Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93
  

For ticket information - http://www.thailandphil.com/

For shuttle information from BTS Wong Wian Yai - http://www.music.mahidol.ac.th/salayalink/

[Stradavarius37]

Biography of Soloist

Born in Bangkok, Poom has started his concert career at the age of 13. He recently graduated in Bachelor of Music with Honours and Hopkinson Gold Medal from the Royal College of Music (RCM), London. He was a student of the leading Thailand’s pedagogue Peerapong Surawan, later on of Rena Phua and Boris Kraljevic at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. He attained the FTCL Diploma from Trinity College at the age of 15. At age 16, he was granted a full scholarship by H.R.H Princess Galyani Vadhana and the Royal College of Music, which enabled him to continue his studies in London with Yonty Solomon and Ian Jones. The scholarship has been continued and supervised by the kindness support of Thanpuying Tasna-Valaya Sorasongkram for his higher study in Master’s degree in Performance at RCM. He is currently a student of the renowned Russian pianist and teacher, Professor Dina Parakhina.

Poom has performed throughout Europe and Southeast Asia and worked with many leading Orchestras. With the already developed an international reputation of an outstanding performer of rare expressive depth, and acclaims of critics calling him “a young Ashkenazy” after his performance of Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto in London. He appeared at the Fifth International Isidor Bajic Piano Competition in Serbia where he wonFirst Prize, a special prize for Brahms’ F minor Piano Quintet performance in semi-final round as well as the reward of the audience. At the final concert, in co-operation with the Timisoara Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Radu Popa, he played in a full richness of rare musical talent the Brahms’ First Piano Concerto filled with tragic tones and after that the daily newspaper “Dnevnik” from Novi Sad wrote: “Playing in a mixture of controlled freedom and exceptional expression depth, with rounded phrases and rich decorations of “Chopin” kind of sound, begin deep in his piano and a great dynamic range, purified in style and expression, the pianist from Thailand has confirmed that the first prize and title of the laureate of the whole competition have come into the right hands”.

In addition to an absolute victory in Novi Sad, Poom won prizes at more than fifteen International and National Competitions: He was the winner of Hopkinson Gold Medal (RCM, London), 1st prize and audiences prize at UK Intercollegiate Sheepdrove Piano Competition, 1st prize at Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra Soloist Competition, Silver Medal in Moray, 1st prize at RCM Concerto Competition for his performance of Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto, Easter Fisher prize, John Chisell Schumann Award, 2nd prize and a special prize for the best performance of Liszt at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Budapest and the Sarah Mundlak Memorial Prize for Piano for the best fourth year Graduation recital. Most recently, Poom was the 1st prize winner of The 2nd Thailand International Piano Competition and he played Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto (Emperor) with Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gudni A. Emilsson.

Poom also performed Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto with Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Olivier Ochanine to great acclaim and with Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rauf Abullayev in Nomus Festival, Serbia with great success. In Manila, he conducted a Masterclass at University Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music on the invitation from the world-renowned Filipino pianist Raul Sunico and at College of Music, Mahidol University on the invitation from Prof. Eri Nakagawa.

In 2012, Poom will perform Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto with Stroud Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven's Concerto no.5 with Serbia National Orchestra, Rachmaninoff's Third Concerto with Thailand Philharmonic orchestra and Prokofiev's Third Concerto at Great Hall University of Reading with Phillip Ellis.

[Stradavarius37]

Biography of the Conductor

CLAUDE VILLARET

Claude Villaret’s baton leading the Berliner Symphoniker caused the euphoria of thousands

spectators ... Because of the magic he created beetween music and public, Claude Villaret,

was the unquestionable protagonist of the IIIrd edition of the International Festival of

Ushuaia. 4th May 2007 www.swissinfo.org

Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Claude Villaret studied piano and conducting. He was then invited by

the celebrated conductor, Bernard Haitink to follow his work at the Euyo and the Berliner

Philharmoniker.

In 1990 whilst living in Argentina, he founded the Youth Orchestra of Latin America and conducted

them at the famous Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. On returning to Europe, in 1994 he won the much prized conducting competition of the music academy in Biel, following which he was invited to be guest conductor of the South Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic. His career as a conductor has since taken him to leading

music centres such as Milan, Zurich, Salzburg, Buenos Aires, London, Prague, Athen, Vienna, Lucerne and Geneva in famous concert halls like Buenos Aires Teatro Colon, Tonhalle Zürich, Megaron Athen, KKL Lucern, Smetana Hall Prague, Sala Sao Paolo in Sao Paolo and other international venues with orchestras such as:

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London (England) Cd production in 2011

Berliner Symphoniker (Germany)

Symphony Orchestra Zurich (Switzerland)

Musikkollegium Winterthur (Switzerland)

TKO- Chamber Orchestra Thurgau (Switzerland)

The New Orchestra of Geneva (Switzerland)

OSI Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana (Switzerland) CD production in 2012

Nara Philharmonic (Japan)

Sinfônica Nacional (Brasil)

Orquesta Sinfônica da USP (Sao Paolo)

Plovdiv State Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria)

North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech Republic)

Camerata Boemica Prague (Czech Republic)

Dvorak Prague Symphony Orchestra (Czech Republic)

South Bohemian Chamber Orchestra (Czech Republic)

Orchestra Sinfonica di Grosseto (Italy)

Chamber Orchestra of Tübingen (Germany)

State Philharmonic Orchestra of Arad (Romania)

State Philharmonic Orchestra of Sibiu (Romania)

State Phiharmonic Orchestra of Bacau (Romania)

Chamber Orchestra of Kiev ( Ukraine)

Orquesta Sinfónica Uncuyo (Argentina)

Orquesta Sinfónica de Bahia Blanca (Argentina)

Orquesta Sinfónica de la UNT (Argentina)

Orquesta Sinfónica de Matanzas (Cuba)

Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra (Bangkok)

Bialystok Philharmonic Orchestra (Poland) 2011

Sudecka Philharmonic Orchestra (Poland)

Athen State Symphony Orchestra (Greece)

Antalya State Symphony Orchestra (Turkey)

Astana National State Orchestra (Kazakhstan)

He has maintained his interests in South America, between 1998 and 2006 he was principal guest conductor of the Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional (Brazil), during the seaons 2002 - 2004 permanent guest conductor of the Orquesta Sinfonica UNT de Tucuman (Argentina). In 2004 he was appointed chief conductor/artistic director of the TKO Chamber Orchestra Thurgau (Switzerland), in 2005 he was also appointed a permanent guest conductor of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra. His success has led to invitations to give conducting masterclasses in Germany and South America and also to be guest conductor at several music festivals.

His recent conducting repertoire includes the operas, La Boheme, Cosi fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Il

Trovatore. In addition he enjoys being innovative in conducting many first performances of both

Swiss and foreign composers. He also realized projects combining video installations with contemporany music.