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The Festival
The Chiang Mai Music Festival at Ban Wangtan has been founded by local Thai as well as foreign residents and admirers of the Chiang Mai area under the artistic direction of the world renowned pianist and teacher, Tong-Il Han. Our inspiration is the universal language of music and the desire to develop both a performance series and teaching program that will increasingly identify Chiang Mai as a major center of ongoing cultural vitality. So much economic growth now is occurring in Chiang Mai and even more is envisioned for this "sub-Mekong hub". It is our hope that this beautiful area of Thailand will grow in parallel cultural significance - that it will also attract those for whom the beauty and joy of the arts represent as important an element in human existence as the purely material.
Chiang Mai is ideally situated climate-wise and geographically, not to mention her existing traditions and excellent educational institutions, to draw the finest artist-performers and teachers interested in furthering present cultural and educational possibilities. A Chiang Mai area based music festival is the perfect institution by which to nourish the community, educate present and future audiences and students, encourage and connect with local and international artists and institutions on a regular basis, and simply make readily available highest standards of concerts to any and all who are lovers of beauty. At present the Chiang Mai area has no regularly occurring "showcase" event for Western classical music and Bangkok remains the predominant center. This moment of ongoing growth and economic planning suggests a splendid opportunity for a timely, strong, explicit, and tangible commitment to building a regularly recurring, world class but locally based international classical music festival.
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Music festivals come in a variety of forms. Some emphasize only concert performances; others focus primarily on teaching; some encompass both. Most festivals today include artists and students of various nationalities and, to some degree, relate to the local community. However, many festivals lack exactly that which our organizing committee has managed to put together:
1. What we refer to as a "Dream Team" of committed local and international founders working closely with international artists-teachers and existing local institutions.
2. A commitment to build something of value for the Chiang Mai area. Our
group of people includes those with roots and investments in Chiang Mai
as well as international artist-teachers who have developed more than a temporary interest in this locality.
Thus, we are able to bring about all and more than many festivals. In addition to the usual statements about the beauty of music and cultural excellence, our group is deeply committed to making the enduring joys of classical music comprehensible and accessible to a wide range of audiences. We see music as a most important and uplifting part of human life. Rather than "Art for art's sake", we embrace the values of "Art for life's sake".
Founders & Supporters
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Khun Chavalit Sirinirund |
Khun Petchsri Sirinirund, M.D. |
Anne Elizabeth & Kazuyoshi Murase
With supporters, Jeff & Louisa Williams
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