Chulalongkorn University has always supported cultural preservation for over 50 years as part of the university policies.  This reflected in establishing Office of Art and Culture to specifically undertake the operations on cultural preservation.  Academic majors focusing on the Thai culture are offered in undergraduate and graduate levels in Faculties of Education, Fine and Applied Arts, Arts, and Architecture, including Master of Arts program in Cultural Management offered by Graduate School.  Required, elective and general education classes are also offered by Faculty of Communication Arts and the university.  Numerous scholarships in generous amounts have been awarded to students of all levels whose academic majors, thesis, or dissertation are related to cultures, especially the Thai culture.  As for graduate levels, five scholarships for full tuition waiver and stipend in a total budget of US$28,500 per an academic year are offered since 2017.  Other grants are offered per request.  The university also sponsors students’ cultural activities through Student Club under the Office of Student Affairs. 

Cultural activities to fulfill the university’s missions include Thai traditional music and dance performances, Western classical music concerts, and theatrical plays.  There were over forty performances during 2021-2022 fiscal year that took place on and off campus inside and outside Bangkok.  (See gallery of performance posters.)  A considerable number of performances were organized in collaboration with public and private sectors, and university’s international networks.  Some of the performances are listed as follow:

Thai Traditional Music and Dance Performances

  1. Piphat Dukdamban, a high-art Thai traditional music and dance, fused with Western big band ensemble, performed once yearly with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn joining in as an honorary musician and presides over other part of the performance program.  The first performance of this kind was in 1987 and has been ongoing for more than 30 years.
  2. Music at Chula concert series on first Friday of every month.  This music series or 12 concerts a year has also been ongoing for over 30 years.  The performances in the concerts are by:
    • Thai traditional music ensembles of varied levels from students to renowned master musicians.  Not only to sustain and continue the heritage of Thai traditional music, but also to be a venue for students to gain more experiences on stage.
    • Applied Thai traditional music ensemble, or generally called ‘contemporary Thai traditional ensemble’ in Thailand, in which Western music instruments are incorporated in the Thai traditional ensemble, with new musical concepts and works.  This is part of a movement in Thai traditional music to keep it relevant in the modern world. 
  3. Ceremonial piphat ensemble playing in Wai Kru ceremony, in which living and late music masters are remembered, to preserve and continue the traditional and an important aspect of Thai musical culture.
  4. Music performances by student club representing students’ body from other regions in Thailand—Thai Music Club, Lanna Music Club, Isaan Music club, and Southern Music Club of students from the Central, Northern, Northeastern, and Southern regions of Thailand respectively.  Ensembles from these club performs folk music and dance cultures from their respective regions. 

Western Music Performances

Under Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra, various musical performances have been offered to the public, all free of charge, throughout the years, for instance, two symphony orchestra concerts, two choral concerts, two viola ensemble concerts, and concerts by Wind, Brass, String, and Percussion Ensembles, Chula Chamber, and Senior Alumni Choirs.    

Students’ music clubs also carry out their performances regularly.  These clubs are a big band club—CU Band, and a choir club—CU Chorus, performing jazz classics, Thai, Western and compositions by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

AAA
BBB

Theatrical Play

Three faculties at Chulalongkorn University present theatrical plays at least one play yearly.  Faculties of Communication Arts and Architecture present the plays as students’ activity, while Faculty of Arts, by Department of Dramatic Arts presents the plays as part of its curriculum, and more regularly than the first two faculties.  In 2022 Faculty of Arts presented two plays, one of which is a Thai translation of an avant-garde play, Right You Are (If You Think You Are) by Luigi Pirandello who received the Noble Prize in Literature in 1934.  The director of the play was a famous director in the Thai theatrical play circle and a faculty member of Department of Dramatic Arts, Dangkamol Na-pombejra.