Thirty years of Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra, since its establishment, have seen an extensive number of its alumni entering professional music scenes and becoming music teachers and professors in basic education schools, higher education music programs, as well as teachers and administrators in private music schools.  These alumni have added to a pool of leading classical musicians in the country in National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Siam Philharmonic Orchestra, Navy, Air Force, Army, and Police Orchestras.  Their other roles that lead Thai music scene includes composers, arrangers, sound engineers, music instrument technicians, audio and video production business specializing in classical music, and music instrument, accessory and sheet music business.

Promotion of Lifelong Learning, and Equality in and between Countries

Performances by Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra provide learning space predominantly for Chulalongkorn University.  The orchestra body, however, comprises also alumni and professional musicians to encourage exchange of experience that all members can learn from others through re-creating music of famous composers.  In addition to music experience, members are also benefit from increased exposure for current students or young graduates, and networking for more established alumni.  Small ensembles and choirs under the umbrella of Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra are open for alumni and students from secondary schools or other universities to participate regardless of nationality, race or gender. 

In addition to concerts throughout the year, Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra also offers workshops and masterclasses as a classical music learning hub for the society.  Renowned conductors and music pedagogues are invited to teach in events open for public free of charge.  The following is some examples:

  • Chulalongkorn University Choral Festival (CU Choral Fest), a yearly festival for choirs and choral directors since 2014 that focuses on choral education and excellence.  Participating choirs and directors are from all over the country.  The guest conductors and clinicians are world’s leading conductors and pedagogues from USA, Canada, and UK, i.e. Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe from University of Southern California, Dr. Timothy Sharp, then Executive Director of American Choral Directors’ Association, and Timothy Brown from Claire College, Cambridge, UK.  
  • Thailand Youth Choral Camp, comprising university choirs from different parts of Thailand.  This annual summer camp started in 2016, and in 2019 started to accept participation of international choirs, with a choir from Malaysia Institute of Art (MIA) as the first to join.  The purpose of the camp is to build a community of youth choral singers through choral music, which is a collaborative art.  The campers have an opportunity, not only to further their choral singing and musicianship skills, but also make friends and create their network in a week-long summer camp, culminating in a final concert.  The guest conductor is Assoc. Prof. Dr. T.J. Harper, Director of Choral Activities, Loyola Marymount, USA, Chair of the American Choral Directors Association Standing Committee on International Activities, and the Director of the ACDA International Conductors Exchange Program (ICEP).  Other clinicians are Dr. Pawasut Piriyapongrat, Director of Choral Activities, Chulalongkorn University, and Susanna Saw, Director of Young Choral Academy, Malaysia. 

Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra also has an extensive role in disseminating knowledge of classical music through tour concerts with workshops in other provinces in the country.  In addition to concerts while on tour, the orchestra organizes music exchange sessions between the orchestra’s student members and local students to encourage two-way learning among the youths.  

Continuation of Activities in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic

Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra has continued to stay active in the music scene through online media, with the purpose to keep the music community connected and help ease the public through the difficult times.  These online activities are: a) virtual music ensemble series ‘CU We Play’; b) quarterly ‘Virtual Art Music Series’ –an online adaptation of the existing twice-yearly Art Music Series concerts livestreamed from music hall without audience; c) ‘Art & Culture Talk’, a weekly live talk show on various topics in art, music, and culture. 

Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra has planned for online music workshops, seminars and a festival in 2021 as it is has proven that, despite the dire time of the pandemic resulting in limitations and obstacles, the world of music is still connected and has become even more accessible with virtually no boundaries.

Promoting Sustainable Audience and Music Creation

Classical music in Thailand encounters the same problem worldwide, which is how to stay relevant with the new generation when online music media is more accessible than live classical concerts, which will be problematic for music students’ future career. 

            Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra puts efforts to add value to concerts by promoting interaction between emcees and the audience through conversations on music, games, tokens, and adjustment of the program with a balance between education and entertainment.   A smaller Western classical ensemble, CU Chamber, is used to present more accessible music to lessen the feeling of classical ensembles as something foreign, with the hope to bridge the gap between the new audience and classical music.  Choices of programs are, for instance, music from favorite Thai and Hong Kong television series, local folksongs from the North.

            CU Symphony Orchestra and CU Chamber also performs in high-profile events and public spaces as part of the outreach effort.  These events are: Gala Dinner – 35th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, Music in the Park concerts at Chulalongkorn Centennial Park, “LOVE” Concert on National Mother’s Day, Red Cross Fair, and other charitable events. 

The familiarization of Western music ensemble in the public has resulted in a larger audience for the classical concerts.  

            Chulalongkorn University advocates classical music consumption and creation in compliance to International Copyrights by allocating budget for purchase and rental of published music, as well as commissioning new compositions and arrangements by Thai composers and arrangers.

International Collaboration

            Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra has always collaborated with international music organizations, for instance: 

  • Collaborated with American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) through endorsement of Dr. T. J. Harper, Chair of the American Choral Directors Association Standing Committee on International Activities, and the Director of the ACDA International Conductors Exchange Program (ICEP) as Resident Conductor and Artistic Director for Thailand Youth Choral Camp in May 2019, organized yearly by Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra since 2016.
  • Collaborated with Oakwood University, AL, USA, in supporting Assoc. Prof. Jason Max Ferdinand as guest conductor and clinician for Chulalongkorn University Choral Festival in February 2020.
  • Collaborated with International Federation for Choral Music as National Recruiter for World Youth Choir auditioning outstanding singers from Thailand to join World Youth Choir summer camp and tour concerts. (The third consecutive years in 2019.)

Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra always supports international music and cultural exchange, initiatives and activities.  It subsidized students’ participation in international festivals, concerts and competitions, and hosted Music Connections Concert Series performed by visiting ensembles and choirs.  In 2019 The Viola Lovers performed in Penang with collaboration with Penang Philharmonic Orchestra, Malaysia, and Chulalongkorn University Concert Choir performed in a joint concert with UNC Chamber Choir at University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA.

Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra
Office of Art and Culture

Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Contact information:
Tel +66 2218-0584
Email: cuartculture@chula.ac.th
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cusymphonyorchestra/