Concert 1st of June

"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 Bangkok

There 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