To celebrate the 6th cycle birthday of His Majesty the King, Opera Siam will present “The Story of the Buddha,” a special performance created by National Artist Somtow Sucharitkul. This event will take place on July 29, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. at the Main Auditorium of the Thailand Cultural Centre.
Somtow began creating this epic work at the beginning of the 21st century. The first tale, ‘Prince Temiya the Dumb,’ premiered in the United States by Opera Vista. Later, Somtow adapted ‘Prince Mahajanaka’ from a symphony he composed in 1997 into a stage performance.
After presenting ‘Prince Phurithat,’ the sixth tale, Somtow decided to turn all ten past lives of the Buddha into a grand music festival to showcase Thai artists to the world.
To date, seven of these stories have been performed. This event will feature key scenes from the series, including the world premiere of ‘Prince Vessantara,’ the final tale.
The performance will be accompanied by over 60 young musicians from the internationally acclaimed Thai Youth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Somtow Sucharitkul and Waraprach Rotjanawat. The show will also feature 38 opera singers and choirs, with dance interludes by two dance troupes.
Opera Siam first debuted in 2001 with “Mattanā,” composed by Somtow from King Rama VI’s literary work. The company has since grown and is recognized as a leading opera center in Southeast Asia.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, live opera performances were temporarily halted. However, the Siam Sinfonietta youth orchestra continued to gain international acclaim by winning competitions and performing in major films.
Opera Siam opened 2024 with a concert featuring Wagner’s Die Walküre, Act 1, to much praise from the international Wagner Society and global audiences.
After the Buddha series, Opera Siam plans to celebrate Puccini Day with a Southeast Asian-themed production of Tosca.
The world premiere festival of the Buddha series will span five days, held every three years, to attract global interest in Buddhism and Thai culture.
Performance Details:
Date: July 29, 2024, Time: 8:00 p.m., Venue: Main Auditorium, Thailand Cultural Centre, Admission: Free (one show only), Reservations: Line Official: @operasiam or email operasiam.pr@gmail.com
