• LIFE

  A grand celebration

  Life, James Keller, Published on 02/02/2023

  » A celebratory concert given by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra in honour of the 36th birthday of its beloved patron HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya began the 2023 season in splendid fashion.

• LIFE

  No notes required

  Life, James Keller, Published on 23/12/2022

  » The huge audience at the Thailand Cultural Centre earlier this month certainly knew that they were in for the rarest of treats when the legendary Russian-born Israeli violinist Maxim Vengerov made his first ever appearance in the second half of an utterly unique concert, performing Prokofiev's ravishingly sublime Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major and Ravel's dazzling Tzigane, while his compatriot pianist colleague Roustem Saïtkoulov -- likewise a top-ranking soloist -- was also on the billing with the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra in the first half for another favourite Prokofiev work from his youth, the scintillating Piano Concerto No.3 In C Major. Meanwhile a delightful, unprogrammed surprise encore of sheer brilliance also awaited the capacity crowd at the end of what turned out to be a most generous musical feast par excellence.

• LIFE

  Happy birthday, father

  Life, James Keller, Published on 08/12/2022

  » In celebration of the auspicious occasion of His Majesty the King's 70th birthday this year, two evenings of immense beauty and stunning creativity were staged at the Thailand Cultural Centre recently, featuring the brilliant and original music of his highly talented daughter HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, performed with great passion and commitment by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra under the baton of music director Michel Tilkin.

• LIFE

  Polish piano legend conquers Bangkok stage with RBSO

  Life, James Keller, Published on 06/12/2022

  » As with all of the truly great pianists, touch is absolutely key when it comes to delivering their excelsior interpretations of the immortal classics. This was demonstrated recently in impeccable, consummate fashion by legendary Polish soloist Krystian Zimerman, who appeared at the Thailand Cultural Centre earlier this month to a sold-out auditorium.

• LIFE

  Showtunes delight TCC crowd

  Life, James Keller, Published on 25/10/2022

  » Conducting maestro Vanich Potavanich and the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra demonstrated most emphatically just how to fill every single seat of the Thailand Cultural Centre earlier this month.

• LIFE

  RBSO concert tests the limits of sound

  Life, James Keller, Published on 15/09/2022

  » A programme of Borodin, Wagner, and Brahms/Schönberg in the Thailand Cultural Centre on Sept 2 afforded the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to perform at both the quietest and loudest of dynamics. Experienced Greek conductor Myron Michailidis and Italian mezzo-soprano Lucrezia Venturiello made their Thailand debuts, and certainly both made a very positive impression on the audience. The concert began with Alexander Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, continuing with Richard Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder, and finishing with Schönberg's imaginative arrangement for orchestra of Brahms' Piano Quartet In G Minor.

• LIFE

  Crowd pleaser

  Life, James Keller, Published on 25/08/2022

  » The Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra has for a very long time enjoyed the enthusiastic support of a sizeable, loyal local cohort of music aficionados who attend many (in a few cases, all) of each season's concerts as a significant part of their essential cultural experience. Following the latest outing by Thailand's most august classical symphony orchestra, a particularly ardent concertgoer who follows the entire Bangkok music scene very closely could be overheard stating in the foyer: "That was one of the finest concerts I have ever heard by the RBSO!"

• LIFE

  Saxophone premiere for His Majesty's birthday

  Life, James Keller, Published on 02/08/2022

  » To celebrate the auspicious occasion of King Vajiralongkorn's 70th birthday on July 28, a fantastic, brand new Concerto For Alto Saxophone And Orchestra was commissioned and performed by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra (RBSO) at the Thailand Cultural Centre on July 22. Composed by Thailand's foremost classical composer Prof Narongrit Dhamabutra, the soloist was a musician of truly worldwide stature, the Greek virtuoso Theodore Kerkezos.

• LIFE

  Finding that joie de vivre

  Life, James Keller, Published on 20/07/2022

  » The Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, and the huge audience in attendance at their latest concert at the Thailand Cultural Centre earlier this month, were once again blessed to be in the presence of true musical greatness as world renowned French horn player Stefan Dohr took to the stage for a flawless performance of Richard Strauss' uplifting Horn Concerto No.2 In E-flat Major.

• LIFE

  German-Spanish cellist attracts younger audience for RBSO

  Life, James Keller, Published on 23/06/2022

  » A noticeably large number of young music fans attended the most recent concert given by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra in the Thailand Cultural Centre last Friday, a very encouraging sight indeed.

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