A rapturous opening night for the Siam Philharmonic's Sixth Season under artistic director Somtow Sucharitkul, featuring two gifted young Thai artists, Trisdee na Patalung and Sooksan Ratanapol.

Trisdee na Patalung plays Mozart's Piano Concert in A Major K 488.

Sooksan Ratanapol plays Mozart's Clarinet Concert in A Major K 622.

The Siam Philharmonic plays Wagner's Siegfried Idyll.

The two Mozart concerts, both in A and sharing an almost identical opening theme, are among Mozart's most transcendent creations. Wagner's glorious Siegfried Idyll is a mini preview for the Bangkok Opera's forthcoming production of the Third Part of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle, 'Siegfried', in September 2008.

Mozart's Piano Concert in A Major K 488 was written at the same time as the opera 'The Marriage of Figaro' and probably performed by Mozart himself at one of his subscription concerts.

The Clarinet Concert in A Major K 622 is one of Mozart's last completed works. Its famous melancholy 'Adagio' movement has been used in many films like 'Out of Africa', 'American Gigolo' and 'Greencard'.

Richard Wagner wrote the 'Siegfried Idyll', one of his few symphonic works, as a birthday surprise for his wife Cosima and later included parts of it in the love scene of the final Act of 'Siegfried'.

Sooksan Ratanapol is a gifted young clarinetist from Bangkok who has appeared many times with the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Asian Youth Orchestra. Currently studying clarinet in Austria with Stefan Schilling, and chamber music with Chia Chou, he returns to Bangkok for this concert.

Trisdee na Patalung is the resident conductor of the Bangkok Opera. He has worked extensively as a conductor, composer and pianist in Europe and Asia, at the Concertgebouw and the Opera Studio Nederland in Amsterdam, the Hanoi Opera House and the Bangkok Opera. He will give a solo piano concert for the Bangkok Opera on 4 March 2008, playing Bach's Goldberg Variations.

Somtow Sucharitkul is the artistic director of the Bangkok Opera. He founded the Siam Philharmonic in 2002 and has led it in Wagner operas, Mahler symphonies and premieres of works by contemporary Asian composers. Somtow Sucharitkul is a well known composer himself whose operas have transformed the music scene of South East Asia.

The Siam Philharmonic is the resident orchestra of the Bangkok Opera, but also has a rich concert platform existence of its own. It is particularly known for its innovative apprentice program, in which exceptionally talented young musicians are given the opportunity to play alongside top professionals.

For tickets (800 baht (VIP), 500 baht, 200 baht for students) and information, please call the Bangkok Opera
Tel: +66 (0) 2663-3236 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
or e-mail navy_horn@hotmail.com
Web site: www.bangkokopera.com