Bangkok Charity Orchestra (BCO), Thailand's first orchestra committed to raising funds for local charities and promoting classical music while being a platform for aspiring musicians to perform to a high standard, will be performing for the first time in two years.
Two concerts will be held at Aksra Theatre (King Power Rangnam) on Saturday.
The first, dubbed "Young Talent Charity Concert", at 11am, features three of the most exceptional young pianists: Chanya Bayla Somboonvechakarn, aged nine; Sirima Pholtape, aged 14; and Yuqiao Chen, also aged 14, who will perform Mozart and Beethoven concertos as well as their solo repertoires, which include Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev.
The "Peace And Harmony Charity Concert" follows at 6pm, showcasing a grand ensemble of nearly 200 international performers including Harmonies Ladies Choir, the Shrewsbury City Campus Show Choir, and renowned violinist-cum-Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Bing Han.
The broad-spectrum programme of timeless symphonic poems, instrumental compositions and musical scripts range from Sibelius' Finlandia, Vivaldi's Gloria, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto In E Minor and Faure's Cantique De Jean Racine to The Sound Of Music and Elgar's Land Of Hope And Glory.
Both the morning and evening concerts will be conducted by BCO founder Chulayuth Lochotinan, who performed as a conductor in several fundraising concerts in the UK.
With the motto "Helping Thailand One Concert At A Time", the BCO was initiated in 2010. It consists of talented musicians, music professionals, and experienced amateurs from Thailand and abroad.
Ever since its inception, the BCO ensemble has raised over 20 million baht for charitable causes, mainly to support underprivileged students nationwide.
All proceeds from ticket sales, without any deductions, from the upcoming Saturday event will be donated to the century-old Wat Tonson School in Phetchaburi province. The fund is to help equip the school's computer room with modern facilities and renovate the school's toilets for over 250 students and staff.
Ticket prices are 1,000 baht for adults and 800 baht for children under 18 years of age and can be purchased online at charityorchestra.org. For more information, call BCO at 02-259-9900.
