This October, New York's Carnegie Hall will reverberate with a different kind of music _ a music more consistent with Thailand and its temples, delivered by a full orchestra.
With Migration Of The Soul, Narong Prangcharoen is poised to make history, becoming the first Thai classical music composer to have his work performed at the hallowed hall.
Narong's name may not be familiar to most Thais, but the US-based composer is a respected figure whose works have won the admiration of both his colleagues and audiences in the US, Europe and Asia.
Early this year, almost 2,000 showed up for the world premiere of his latest piece, Illumination, composed for the Beijing Modern Music Festival and performed by the China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra.
At the end of the premiere, there was a long line of fans queuing up for his autograph, a rare sight for a Thai specialising in classical music.
In contemporary speak, Narong, 38, is pretty much a star. His music carries an evocation of the 20th century Russian modernists, among them Igor Stravinski, but with a Siam folk influence.
Narong's Chakra for wind ensemble, Satha for string, piano and percussion, and Phenomenon for orchestra are some of the pieces performed by philharmonics in many parts of the world. Last month, Narong returned to Thailand to oversee another important mission _ The Thailand International Composition Festival (TICF), an event he's dedicated eight years of his life to organise.
"I remembered how hard it was for me to arrive at the stage that I am now.
"Besides working hard, I also received good opportunities from others. This festival is, in a way, my idea of returning the opportunity to young talents who wish to pursue their dreams as a professional composer," says Narong, who is founder and artistic director of TICF.
The festival was launched in 2004, originally as a three-day music composition workshop and competition to talent-spot young composers across the globe, with Srinakarinwirot University as host. Narong obtained a bachelor's degree in Music Education from the same university, after which he went to the US and in 2010 got a doctorate from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, where he's now teaching.
His vision is to encourage the local classical music community to take part in the festival, which is rotated among universities every year. This year, the College of Music, Mahidol University, hosted the event that attracted a score of international composers as well as rookies looking for inspiration and opportunities. The eighth edition of TICF, which ended earlier this month, ran for six days and was easily the largest event of its kind in Southeast Asia.
In Thailand we tend to use the term "international festival" too prolifically, often to the point of abuse, when describing a social event or activity, where the aim is to boost the profile.
But the TICF didn't go down that route, as the list of finalists at this year's competition will prove; they came from all corners of the globe. Among them were three world-renowned composers who flew in to give participants a masterclass in classical music and served on the jury of the competition as well.
The trio that need mention include American Eric Moe, Xiaogang Ye and Zhou Long. Moe, also a pianist, is currently a professor of Composition and Theory at the University of Pittsburg, and a visiting professor at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.
From Beijing came Xiaogang Ye, founder and director of the Beijing Modern Music Festival at the Central Conservatory of Music, of which he is vice-president. His more famous work is Starry Sky, a piano concerto that premiered during the opening of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Zhou Long, meanwhile, is a Chinese-American who won a Pulitzer last year for music he composed for the opera Madame White Snake.
''This year's festival was the biggest so far,'' says Narong. ''We went from three days to six. We have leading composers coming here to hold training courses for the finalists and Thai students. The finalists this year numbered 12, the highest since we started the festival.
''Among them were young composers from all over the world. They came up with some very strong pieces, exhibiting matching levels of skill. The winner was the composer whose work showed the fewest flaws.'' The main prize this year went to a 28-years-old composer from Serbia, Milica Djordjevic.
Unfortunately _ but further proof the competition is not focused inward and truly international in scope _ none of the finalists were from Thailand.
''Some people asked me to at least get one Thai in the final since I was the artistic director and I could pull it off,'' Narong laughs. ''Could I do that? Yes, but none of the works from Thai composers were on par with other finalists.
''Even had I heeded I don't think that person would have stood a chance. It's all about pressure and how well you handle it. It affects your confidence. The reality is in terms of skill Thai composers were still far behind.''
As a student Narong studied alongside Narongrit Dhamabutra, another respected composer, and got his big break at a competition when he received a grant to study in the US.
In his view, the music composition scene in Thailand now is brighter than when he was starting out.
''When studying for my bachelor's degree, there was nothing such as majoring in music composition,'' he says. ''Today many institutions offer it. However, I think Thai students need to work harder and challenge themselves more in order to create better works.''
Thailand International Composition Festival is eight years old but it may come as a surprise that very few in Thai society know about it.
Narong explained that since it is a non-commercial event, the audience is limited. The main sponsors are the universities hosting it, individual donors, as well as funding from his own pocket.
''I am grateful to my fellow composers who agreed come here without asking for any payment.
''We are also very lucky to have many students who dedicated their precious time, becoming volunteers and helped run the festival smoothly,'' he says.
''Now I tell myself all I need to do each year is compose at least one piece and save the money especially for the festival.''
One may wonder how a composer of classical music like him makes a living. These days, Narong explains with a modest air, if wealth is not your goal in life, composing music can be your ticket to a comfortable life.
''For example, for my latest work, Illumination, commissioned by the China National Centre for the Performing Arts, I received 100,00 yuan (500,000 baht). So, if I do three such works a year I can live comfortably, even in the US,'' he reveals.
''My job is pretty much like a writer's. You can have an agent who represents you, or you can become a self-publisher, like myself. With today's advanced technology it is rather easy to present your own works. Once I finish writing music, I can save it in PDF file and orchestras around the world could buy or rent my music. It can be done easily online,'' he explains.
In his short professional career Narong has won several prizes, and includes winning the Alexander Zemlinsky International Composition Competition, the ACL Yoshiro IRINO Memorial Composition Award, and the Annapolis Charter 300 International Composers Competition. In 2007, Narong picked up a Silapathorn Award, presented by Thailand's Ministry of Culture to outstanding mid-career artists.
So far, Narong has released two solo albums, Phenomenon and Mantras, and a special album with other composers under the American classical music label Albany Records.
The LA Times called Narong a ''composer with a gift for creating orchestral colour'', while the Chicago Sun Times referred to his music as ''absolutely captivating'' and compared one of his works to Stravinsky's Fireworks.
With the eighth edition of TICF now behind him, Narong is back on his own, with another chapter in life waiting for him. Commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra, his upcoming work Migration Of The Soul will become the first classical composition written by a Thai to be performed at the main auditorium of the Carnegie Hall.
''Performing in the main hall is a dream for musicians and composers around the world,'' he says, and adds.
''This October I will take the sounds of Thai temples to New York City''.
A MASTER'S CHOICE
Narong Prangcharoen picks his five favourite classical compositions. Notice the absence of Baroque and Romantic classical masters, who give way to contemporary talents at work today.
''These are not easy pieces for new listeners,'' says Narong, ''but I'm immensely inspired by them.''
[1]Momentum composed by Chen Yi.
[2]Symphony No.1 composed by John Corigliano.
[3]Kraft composed by Magnus Lindberg.
[4]Pinturas de Tamayo composed by Steven Stucky.
[5]Poems From Tang composed by Zhou Long.
