2. March 2023

Studio Musikfabrik X Bangkok 2023

In February 2023, violinist Malin Grass and cellist Benjamin Kautter of Studio Musikfabrik, the youth ensemble for new music of  NRW, traveled to Bangkok. Together with the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music Youth Orchestra (PYO), four call-for-score works of mostly thai composer of the last ten years were recorded. The cooperation between the two music ensembles has existed for several years and is a fixed part of the calendar of Studio Musikfabrik. The visit was topped by a pop-up concert with the young musicians of both ensembles under the direction of Peter Veale.

©PVG Institute of music
Peter Veale, Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music, ©PGV Institute of music

Malin Grass and Benjamin Kautter report on their unique experiences:

‘We had an incredible time in Bangkok. The most special and greatest thing was the intercultural exchange with the musicians of the PYO. We have never experienced such a warm welcome and the way of dealing with each other anywhere else.

An example of this was the chamber concert that took place right at the beginning of the project: In the first part of the concert we were able to give an insight into our own work as a duo and at the end we were allowed to experience the wonderful world of Giacinto Scelsi together with local musicians with “Pranam II”. Also the possibility to get to know call for score works of mostly thai composers of our time and to work out and record them with the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music Youth Orchestra was very enriching for our musical horizon.

All in all it was a wonderful time, musically as well as humanly, which was not least due to the great care and guidance of Peter Veale and the organizing team of Ensemble Musikfabrik.’