A trip down South
Mayor Pongsak said that there is now a plan to build a proper music school and auditorium in Yala to accommodate and further support aspiring musicians in the province. And with the TPO recently in town, their visit also served to provide encouragement and inspiration for local youths.
Gongphonp Saksawat, 14, a violinist at the YMO, said it was his first time seeing the TPO perform live and that he was very excited and happy that such a big orchestra had decided to come to his hometown.
“Like them, I hope to make music my career. I want to become a teacher and come back to teach music here,” said the young musician. At the same time, he wished to have a chance to play with the TPO, adding that he may try for an audition in the future.
But coming to Yala wasn’t beneficial to the locals alone. The musicians said they too received inspiration, in return.
For TPO’s 24-year-old cellist Nichapa Nilkaew, the trip marked her first time in the land of insurgency. Admittedly she was at first nervous about coming, but once she arrived, she was in awe of the hospitality shown by the locals.
“The people were so welcoming and they took such great care of us,” said Nichapa. “The sound of our music can be quite new to them. But they received it pretty well even if it was a kind of melody they don’t always get to listen to. There’s just no boundaries when it comes to music. It transcends. And people really understood the message we wished to convey.”
Upon learning about the local youth orchestra, the cellist said she was very excited that there were so many kids — like Gongphonp, for example — interested in classical music despite the province not being too well-equipped for it.
“There is like one grand piano in this entire province, from what I know. I’m quite surprised by that,” she commented, adding that she’d be interested in returning to provide lessons for the kids should opportunities arise in the future.
“I feel that those who have little opportunity can be very passionate, more so than those who have everything within reach,” said Nichapa. “They consider every opportunity valuable. And these kids are very young. I think that with their potential, they can go very far with the right kind of support.” The Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra holds a regular concert at Prince Mahidol Hall on Mahidol University’s Salaya Campus in Nakhon Pathom. Visit www.thailandphil.com.