THAILAND – CULTURE: A tribute concert to Queen Sirikit at the Bangkok Cultural Center

 

Opera Siam will pay tribute to the memory of Queen Sirikit during a major commemorative concert entitled Maha Rajini, organized on Saturday July 18, 2026 at the Cultural Center of Thailand in Bangkok.

 

Presented in the main hall of the Thailand Cultural Center, this exceptional concert will celebrate the life and legacy of the former Queen Mother of Thailand through several works by Thai composer Somtow Sucharitkul, a major figure in contemporary classical music in Asia.

 

The program will notably highlight the Sirikit Piano Concerto, a work composed especially for the 72nd birthday of Queen Sirikit at the request of Princess Galyani Vadhana.

 

Passionate about the piano since her childhood, the queen herself confided to the composer her admiration for the great Russian romantic concertos. Inspired by this musical sensitivity, Somtow Sucharitkul composed a work which combines Western symphonic tradition and Thai influences.

 

The concerto evokes different moments in the life of the sovereign. Its second movement transports the audience to Paris in the 1950s, while the finale integrates sounds and musical textures inspired by Thai arts.

 

The concert will be conducted by Somtow Sucharitkul himself, with Thai conductor and virtuoso Trisdee na Patalung on the piano. The Siam Sinfonietta youth orchestra, regularly awarded internationally, will accompany this musical evening.

 

The event will also feature the world premiere of the Maha Rajini song cycle, performed by several leading Thai opera singers. According to the composer, this new work appeared to him in a dream, in the form of a soprano singing from the sky and spreading a rain of gold over the Thai people.

 

Organized by Opera Siam in partnership with the Thailand Cultural Center and the Siam Sinfonietta, this concert is both an artistic tribute and a moment of contemplation dedicated to one of the most respected figures in contemporary Thai history.

 

The organizers are offering a pre-sale offer with 15% off until June 15. More information here.

 

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