Bundit Ungrangsee
Encyclopedia
Bundit Ungrangsee is an international symphonic conductor.
Thai-born and of Chinese descent, Bundit Ungrangsee was named one of two co-winners and Laureates of the inaugural Maazel-Vilar International Conductors' Competition held at Carnegie Hall
in New York City, USA in September 2002. Since then, Ungrangsee has built a career as an international guest conductor, regularly leading orchestras in primarily Europe and Asia.
His work includes Principal Guest Conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
and regularly conducting orchestras in Italy, including Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia. Over the course of his career, he has held posts as Music Director of the Young Musician's Foundation Debut Orchestra in Los Angeles, Associate Conductor of the Utah Symphony, Cover Conductor for the New York Philharmonic
, Associate Conductor of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra.
Bundit was among the honorees for the Thai Ministry of Culture's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture's Silpathorn Award
in 2005. He was also named a "Cultural Ambassador".
Among the artists with whom he has worked are Maxim Vengerov
, Julia Migenes
, Joseph Alessi
, the LaBeque Sisters
, Paula Robison, Christopher Parkening
, Christine Brewer
and Elmer Bernstein
.
In 2005, Ungrangsee was one of three international conductors invited to actively take part in the historic development of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra into a world-class musical institution. He was also given the post of Principal Guest Conductor of that orchestra and conducted numerous concerts with the orchestra. In June 2007, he invited the orchestra to give a concert tour in his home country, Thailand.
In September 2002 Ungrangsee was named Laureate and Co-Winner in the inaugural Maazel-Vilar International Conductors' Competition held at Carnegie Hall
in New York City. The prize, awarded by a distinguished panel of judges including Lorin Maazel
, Kyung-Wha Chung
, Glenn Dicterow
and Krzysztof Penderecki
, recognizes him as first among the 362 competitors from 40 countries in the competition. At the conclusion of the competition, Maazel told the audience, "You are seeing the future of classical music."
A Thai conductor of Chinese descent, Mr. Ungrangsee is the first Thai to have won awards in many prestigious international conducting competitions. Other competition prizes include Winner of the International Competition for Young conductors in Lisbon, Portugal (1999). In 2002, he placed fourth among 37 conductors from over 20 nations in the Hungarian TV-Radio International Conducting Competition in Budapest. He also was a semi-finalist in the prestigious Besancon Competition
in France in 1998.
Among the teachers he recognizes as his main influences are world-renowned conducting teacher Jorma Panula
and Maestro Lorin Maazel, Music Director of New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Maestro Maazel has said of Bundit that “He is on his way to becoming a major force in the world of conducting,” and privately trained him over the period of three years. Bundit received his Master's Degree in Conducting from the University of Michigan
.
Thai-born and of Chinese descent, Bundit Ungrangsee was named one of two co-winners and Laureates of the inaugural Maazel-Vilar International Conductors' Competition held at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York City, USA in September 2002. Since then, Ungrangsee has built a career as an international guest conductor, regularly leading orchestras in primarily Europe and Asia.
His work includes Principal Guest Conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1948, is one of the oldest and most famous orchestras in South Korea. Its first foreign tour came on a 1965 trip to Japan, followed by performances in Southeast Asia in 1977, the United States in 1982, 1986 and 1996, a 1988 tour of Europe before the...
and regularly conducting orchestras in Italy, including Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia. Over the course of his career, he has held posts as Music Director of the Young Musician's Foundation Debut Orchestra in Los Angeles, Associate Conductor of the Utah Symphony, Cover Conductor for the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, Associate Conductor of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra.
Bundit was among the honorees for the Thai Ministry of Culture's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture's Silpathorn Award
Silpathorn Award
The Silpathorn Award, , is an honour for living Thai contemporary artists presented annually by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand...
in 2005. He was also named a "Cultural Ambassador".
Among the artists with whom he has worked are Maxim Vengerov
Maxim Vengerov
Maxim Alexandrovich Vengerov is a violinist, violist, and conductor who was born in the Soviet Union.-Youth:Born on 20 August 1974 in Novosibirsk, Russia, to a family with musical tradition....
, Julia Migenes
Julia Migenes
Julia Migenes is an American mezzo-soprano working primarily in musical theatre repertoire. She was born on the Lower East Side of New York to a family of Greek and Irish-Puerto Rican descent...
, Joseph Alessi
Joseph Alessi
Joseph Alessi is a world-renowned, primarily classical, trombonist; he is the current Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and an active soloist, teacher/clinician and recording artist. Alessi is considered the finest player in modern times....
, the LaBeque Sisters
Katia and Marielle Labèque
The French sisters Labèque, Katia and Marielle , form an internationally known piano duo. They have performed and recorded most of the repertoire for two pianos, spanning the instrumental, chamber, and concerto genres encompassing musical periods from Baroque through contemporary.Katia and...
, Paula Robison, Christopher Parkening
Christopher Parkening
Christopher Parkening is an American classical guitarist.Parkening was born in Los Angeles, California, and pursued music in part because of his cousin Jack Marshall, a studio musician in the 1960s. Marshall first introduced Parkening to the recordings of Andrés Segovia when he was 11, and...
, Christine Brewer
Christine Brewer
Christine Brewer is an American soprano. She grew up in the Mississippi River town of Grand Tower, Illinois. She attended McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois and concentrated on music education. She was a music teacher for several years before embarking on a professional music performing...
and Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions...
.
In 2005, Ungrangsee was one of three international conductors invited to actively take part in the historic development of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra into a world-class musical institution. He was also given the post of Principal Guest Conductor of that orchestra and conducted numerous concerts with the orchestra. In June 2007, he invited the orchestra to give a concert tour in his home country, Thailand.
In September 2002 Ungrangsee was named Laureate and Co-Winner in the inaugural Maazel-Vilar International Conductors' Competition held at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York City. The prize, awarded by a distinguished panel of judges including Lorin Maazel
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was...
, Kyung-Wha Chung
Kyung-Wha Chung
Kyung-wha Chung is a Korean violinist.- Biography :Kyung-wha Chung's musical career began at the age of three. Her fame in the seventies and eighties was at the top level, and ranked alongside the great violinists Pinchas Zukerman and Itzhak Perlman...
, Glenn Dicterow
Glenn Dicterow
Glenn Dicterow , is an American violinist and is currently concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.Mr. Dicterow's musical gifts became apparent when, at age 11, he made his solo debut with the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra...
and Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these...
, recognizes him as first among the 362 competitors from 40 countries in the competition. At the conclusion of the competition, Maazel told the audience, "You are seeing the future of classical music."
A Thai conductor of Chinese descent, Mr. Ungrangsee is the first Thai to have won awards in many prestigious international conducting competitions. Other competition prizes include Winner of the International Competition for Young conductors in Lisbon, Portugal (1999). In 2002, he placed fourth among 37 conductors from over 20 nations in the Hungarian TV-Radio International Conducting Competition in Budapest. He also was a semi-finalist in the prestigious Besancon Competition
International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors
The International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors, is a music competition for young conductors in the city of Besançon, France.-History:...
in France in 1998.
Among the teachers he recognizes as his main influences are world-renowned conducting teacher Jorma Panula
Jorma Panula
Jorma Panula is a Finnish conductor, composer, and professor of conducting.Panula is a graduate of the Sibelius Academy, where he studied the organ, church music and conducting...
and Maestro Lorin Maazel, Music Director of New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Maestro Maazel has said of Bundit that “He is on his way to becoming a major force in the world of conducting,” and privately trained him over the period of three years. Bundit received his Master's Degree in Conducting from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.