Programme:
Experience three of Stravinsky’s most celebrated ballets—Petrushka, The Firebird, and The Rite of Spring—in a special two-piano performance by Vorarat Wattanasombat and Eri Nakagawa.

With specially created illustrations bringing the stories to life, the concert combines music and visual storytelling to explore the colorful world of Stravinsky’s ballets.

Musicians:

Vorarat Wattanasombat

Vorarat Wattanasombat (Kru Loon) is a passionate pianist, educator, and advocate for music education. With a strong commitment to nurturing young musicians, he works to guide students toward international standards while fostering a collaborative community of music educators in Thailand.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Classical Music Performance and Pedagogy from Mahidol University. His professional development includes the Jacques-Dalcroze Diplôme Supérieur Candidate, being the first candidate from Southeast Asia, as well as certifications in the Suzuki Piano Method (Book 5) and Suzuki Early Childhood Education (Level 3), both of which is the highest certified levels in Thailand.

As a pianist, he has more than 10 years of experience working as a guest orchestral pianist and piano repetiteur with leading philharmonic orchestras and opera companies. He also has 12 years of teaching experience and has dedicated much of his career to developing innovative and effective approaches to music education.

Vorarat is actively involved in the development of Jacques-Dalcroze education in Thailand and Southeast Asia. He serves as a main lecturer for Jacques-Dalcroze Education in the region and hosts teacher training programmes and examinations at the Bangkok Campus of the Institute for Jacques-Dalcroze Education. He is also a faculty member of the Institute for Jacques-Dalcroze Education LLC.

In addition, Vorarat serves as a board member and Head of the Piano Department at the Thailand Association of Talent Education (Suzuki Method). Through his teaching and leadership, he is committed to raising the standards of music education while helping students develop both their musical abilities and their confidence.

His students have achieved recognition in international competitions, including finalist placement at the 2024 Denla Piano Competition, selected from 130 pianists, and Fourth Prize at the 18th Cecilia International Music Competition 2024 in Tokyo, Japan. His students also regularly participate in international competitions and festivals in Singapore and Japan, including the Singapore Raffles International Music Festival, Cecilia International Music Competition, and Osaka International Music Competition.

Eri Nakagawa

Eri Nakagawa, a native of Osaka, Japan, has been a member of the piano faculty at the College of Music, Mahidol University, Thailand, since 1995. Previously, she served as Assistant Professor of Music Performance at Ball State University, Indiana, USA.

She has been invited as a guest pianist and professor at the University of Northern Colorado in USA,  Bruckner Conservatory in Linz, Bösendorfer Saal in Vienna, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, Corfu Festival in Greece, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth, Moulin d’Andé International Masterclasses in Normandy, France, Piano Plus Festival in Corfu, Greece, UCSI University in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing China Conservatory, Northwest Minzu University in Lanzhou, NanJing Xiaozhuang University, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in Hangzhou, Sicily International Piano Festival, etc. In addition to frequent solo recitals, she has performed over ten concertos with various orchestras and regularly collaborates with distinguished musicians in Thailand and abroad.

Dr. Nakagawa earned her degrees from Osaka Kyoiku University, Mukogawa Women’s University, and Ball State University, where she completed her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in piano performance. Her principal teachers include Koji Tanaka, Naoyuki Inoue, Mitchell Andrews, and Pia Sebastiani.

Her students have won top prizes in national and international competitions and have been accepted into prestigious institutions such as Juilliard, Mozarteum, and the Royal College of Music. She has received several honors, including the Trinity Guildhall Excellence in Music Education Awards (2010, 2017), Chopin Competition in Asia Outstanding Teacher Award (2013), Kawai Best Teacher Award (2016), and the Mahidol Music Honor Award (2022). She is also a frequent jury member at international piano competitions.