The Choochart Pitaksakorn
Viola Competition
6 June 2023, 1:30 PM (subject to change)
Prizes: 15000, 10000, 5000 baht
Masterclasses with IVS Distinguished Artists
Free pass to IVC Salaya (all participants)
First Prize will be invited to perform in a future International Viola Congress
Deadline to apply: 24 April 2023
Notification of finalists: 1 May 2023
Sponsors
Choochart Pitaksakorn Viola Competition
The 2023 International Viola Congress Salaya welcomes ALL young violists who would like to participate in a Viola Competition that will showcase their talents and the sounds from their home country. The Winner of the Competition will be guaranteed a performance in a future International Viola Congress. Please join us for this exciting event.
Age: 12-28 years old
Nationality: Any
Location: Mahidol University, College of Music. Salaya, Thailand.
Dates: 6 June 2023, 1:30 PM. Mahidol University's College of Music, Music Auditorium College of Music (subject to change)
Repertoire:
Preliminary video should be a recent video, 10 minutes in length, and music of competitor's choice. It doesn't have to be the final round works.
Final Round music should not exceed 20 minutes and can be two solo pieces, or one solo piece and one work with piano.
Prizes: First Prize: 15000 baht, Future IVC performance, plus 2 masterclasses with IVS Distinguished Artists
Second Prize: 10000 baht, plus 2 masterclasses with IVS Distinguished Artists
Third Prize: 5000 baht, plus 2 masterclasses with IVS Distinguished Artists
Contestants must provide their own transportation to Salaya.
Contact
For more information about the IVC Salaya Viola Competition
To Apply:
Asst. Prof. Col. Choochart began studying both Thai and Western music with Navy Lieutenant Yanyong Dangkul at the age of nine, and continued his violin studies with Sutin Tesaraksa. Later he pursued his music studies in England, Germany, and Portugal. During his overseas studies, Col. Choochart was twice the first prize winner of the violin competitions in London. Asst. Prof. Col. Choochart had a great opportunity to study advanced violin playing with Prof. Maxim Jacobsen who was one of the greatest violin pedagogues as well as violinist at the time. He also received valuable advicefrom Lord Yehudi Menuhin, the legendary violinist.
He was chosen a concertmaster of the London College of Music Orchestra and the Addison String Orchestra and was conductor of the North Kensington Symphony Orchestra. He received G.L.C.M and A.R.C.M. diplomas from The London College of Music and The Royal College of Music, respectively.
Asst. Prof. Col. Choochart also studied music composition under George Berkowitz, who was a student of Kodaly and Bartok, and studied conducting with Joseph Pilbery and Bruno Walter. He later studied jazz and film music composition with Restituto Umali in the Philippines.
Upon returning to Thailand in 1962, he joined the military service and served in the Royal Thai Army Orchestra before resigning in 1976 and later the Department of Arts, Music and Dance, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University as a full-time instructor as well as a part-time faculty member at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Art, Chulalongkorn University.
During his years at the Royal Thai Army, Asst. Col. Choochart was invited to conduct several symphony orchestras abroad and was decorated with the Silver Cross of Merit for the Distinguished Service by the President of Austria. He also received a Golden Record Award for outstanding arranger and conductor from His Majesty the King of Thailand.
He had been conductor with various local orchestras including the Ibycus Chamber Orchestra for four years, Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra.
At present, Assistant Professor Col. Choochart has retired but still serves as Chulalongkorn University Artist-in-Residence and Music Director of Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra. He also teaches part-time at the Department of Arts, Music and Dance, Faculty of Education and Department of Music, Faculty of Fine and Applied Art, Chulalongkorn University; the Faculty of Humanity, Kasetsart University; Conservatory of Music Rangsit University, College of Music, Mahidol University and a member of the Executive of Board of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra. As a pedagogue, he has taught violin, viola, Harmony, Orchestration, composition and conducting for more than 40 years.