At the beginning of the new academic year, one enjoys looking back on projects of the past semester that were very enriching. 

I would thus like to report on my visit to the Mahidol College of Music in Bangkok, Thailand, along with Christian Altenburger last February and, as project director, at the same time express my thanks to the mdw’s International Office, the ASEA UNINET network, and the colleagues at Bangkok’s Mahidol College of Music for their support in the organisation and smooth realisation of the project.

A total of eleven students and colleagues participated in the chamber-music project. After numerous rehearsals, the group then presented two very lovely concerts.

In addition, Christian Altenburger and I gave seminars for piano and violin both at Mahidol College and at the smaller Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music, located in downtown Bangkok.

I had been to Thailand before, and it was once again an extremely interesting and positive experience. Our colleagues there are very friendly and cooperative, and the students always strive to give their best. Although the level of playing varied, the seminar was greatly appreciated by all.

Once, our colleagues gave us a tour of the city, and we had the opportunity to see the centre of Bangkok and sample genuine Thai cuisine—a simply fantastic experience!

Mahidol University is about a 45-minute drive from Bangkok, although it can take even longer in heavy traffic. The university is a private institution, and the campus is not only quite beautiful but also quite large, as all university departments are located there. There are very lovely artist residences available to guests as well. Directly opposite is the Concert Hall of Mahidol University, where we had the opportunity to experience the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO).

The colleagues, whether from Thailand or Europe, were all interested in exchanging ideas, and we had a wonderful time in the rehearsals. The happy consequence of this, and the confirmation that the communication between the two universities was one between equals, will be the weeklong visit by Prof. Paris Paraschoudis from the String and Chamber Music Department at Mahidol to the mdw at the beginning of November 2024.

I recommend to all colleagues to travel to Thailand and have this experience at the Mahidol College of Music. Prof. Altenburger and I both found this trip to be greatly enriching.