"There's a raw energy that comes from these orchestras emerging from some of the big city slums that can't be matched even by professional musicians" These were comments made about the first slum orchestras emerging out of the slums in Caracas in Venezuela.
Bangkok might not be the first city to have a classical
orchestra emerging from its poor community but for this youth orchestra it is
the first real concert they will be playing outside their local community in
Klong Toey.
Immanuel music school started 15 years ago as a mean to
encourage and stimulate children in the local community surrounding Immanuel
Lutheran Church. Some of the youths in the orchestra started playing the Violin
in the small HOP community centre under the Highway when they were three years
old.
The regular conductor of the orchestra, Varin Artvilai, was the
first students of Immanuel music school. He has now graduated from Mahidol
University and is teaching and conducting the community orchestra on volunteer
basis while working as a professional violinist in Thailand Philharmonic
Orchestra.
In addition to the orchestra’s regular conductor, the renowned
conductor Jonathan Mann, will be conducting for the first time in Asia a
composition made by Stephen Maniam. Stephen is a composer, music teacher and double bassist who has helped out teaching in Immanuel Music School as a volunteer teachers since new year.
If you attend the concert at the Kukrit
Institute on Sunday at 19.00 you will experience that the raw energy and
musical joy that often characterizes the
orchestras of El Sistema, can also spring out of a local community in BangkokThere will be shuttle transport from MRT Lumpini Station (exit 2 Sathorn Road) before and after the concert.
For any questions please contact Dag Johannessen Mobile +66 81 812 1779. or Chanda Saiyotha (Thai language) mobile +66 851 105805
You can also read more about the concert and preparations on our Facebook arrangement page in English: www.facebook.com/events/284823815029411
and in Thai: www.facebook.com/events/739318182757112