Growing Music Together
Piano
Banchinda Laothai
Collaborative pianist Banchinda Laothai actively works with musicians, instrumentalists, and singers throughout the Bangkok Metropolitan area where she shared her expertise in collaborative piano, musical coaching, and directing a small ensemble. Previously served as a full-time instructor at Rangsit University’s Conservatory of Music.
In 2017, Banchinda has joined Albyrd Violin Studio to start the Suzuki Piano Program, where she has been teaching young pianists and coaching young violinists that play competitively. She also co-founded “GLOM” Chamber Group in the same year to promote chamber music lifestyle and appreciation in Thailand as well as to share her knowledge with young musicians. Most recently, Banchinda has just joined Yamaha Music Thailand as the Yamaha Music Course’s Chief instructor.
Banchinda’s past collaborative works in the United States were in numerous settings. In 2015, she joined the national tour of the Broadway musical Annie in Minneapolis to serve as an orchestra keyboardist. She also joined Really Spicy Opera for its production of The Clever Artifice of Harriet and Margaret as a repetiteur. In 2012, she performed in the Schubert Club Courtroom Concerts, played for the University of Minnesota’s Bravo! String Summer School, and served as a pianist at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards Competition (NATSAA) in Florida.
The distinguished teachers whom Banchinda has studied with in this specialized field were Anita Pontremoli and Timothy Lovelace. She also worked with Jonathan Feldman, Anne Apperson, Joela Jones and Noriko Kawai. While in Thailand she has had the privilege to be mentored by Piyabhand Sanitwongse and the YAMAHA Music Academy's faculties in the Junior Special Advanced Course program.
Banchinda holds a Graduate Degree and an Artist Diploma from Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, Ohio and currently is doctoral candidate studying Collaborative Piano & Coaching at the University of Minnesota’s School of Music Twin Cities. She is also an alumnus of the Music Academy of the West, the Kent/Blossom Music Festival, and Malibu’s Songfest. Apart from music, Banchinda holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Architecture from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Architecture.
Dr. Somruedi Suchitphanit
Dr. Somruedi Suchitphanit or Dr. Kwan is a pianist and a piano pedagogue from Bangkok, Thailand, who believes in individual potential musical growth, with an approach to each individual to improve overall musical skills and develop their personal style. Her philosophy was influenced by many great pianists and pedagogues through her journey of studying music in both Thailand and United State of America.
She received her Bachelor of Music from College of Music, Mahidol University where she studied under the guidance of Dr. Noppanand Chanorathaikul, who has inspired her through an example of a dedicated teacher which led her to continue further her study in pedagogy.
Later, she continued her studies in Piano Pedagogy and Performance (Master of Music) at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey where she studied piano with Mrs. Phyllis Lehrer, pedagogy with Mrs. Ingrid Clearfield and internship with Dr. James Goldsworthy and Mrs. Ena Barton. In which, she has learned teaching strategies and practicum through the internship. After a few years of teaching at Kwan Piano Studio and Westminster Conservatory, she continued her Doctoral studies in Piano Performance at University of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas). At KU she studied piano with Dr. Jack Winerock and Dr. Michale Kirkendoll and piano pedagogy with Dr. Scott Smith. She is extremely passionate about teaching and learning, has participated in conferences and festivals such as MTNA, IKIF, and NCKP.
Her solo repertoire emphasized on French repertoire. She has performed a Concerto with Westminster Community Orchestra in Princeton, NJ and a Piano four-hands repertoire with Christina Mandasari at Carnegie Hall, NY. She gave a Lecture Recital focus on an approach of individual differences in piano playing with an emphasized on small-handed pianists called “Small hands on a Grand piano: understanding individual differences and approaches for small-handed pianists”. Besides teaching, she also enjoys performing chamber music with her colleagues.
Nattagan Pettong (Kru Waii)
Nattagan Pettong is specialized in teaching young children, age between 3 – 7 years old. She has experience teaching in many setting and now is a lead teacher in Music Little Seed class and also giving private lesson at Round Note Music.
She got her bachelor degree in piano performance from Conservatory of Music, Rangsit University in Thailand. During studying, Nattagan had participated many music events such as the RSU orchestra and “Radiant Ensemble” music ensemble. Besides, she also constantly performed piano solo both on and off campus; Piano department recital, The 4th Student Charity Concert, and Piano Friendship Concert #2.
Nattagan is very interested in piano pedagogy and had taken Piano Pedagogy & Piano Literature courses and also attended an array of music workshops and masterclasses with many professional piano teachers such as Stefan Sandstrom, Dr. Chindarat Charoenwongse, and Dr. Lei Weng.
Natthaphat (Kru Jerk)
เริ่มเรียนเปียโนคลาสสิกกับ อาจารย์ ธีรพล หลิว ตั้งแต่ ปี 2010 - 2014 ได้สอบผ่าน Trinity College London ในระดับ เกรด 2 , 3 , 5 ตามลำดับ ต่อมาเริ่มมีความสนใจในดนตรีตรีแจ้สจึงได้เริ่มเรียนกับ อาจารย์เฉลิมพล พละชีวะ ตั้งแต่ปี 2015 - 2016 หลังจากนั้นได้เข้าศึกษาต่อในระดับ อุดมศึกษา ที่ Conservatory of Music มหาวิทยาลัย รังสิต สาขาดนตรีแจ๊สศึกษา โดยได้เรียนกับอาจารย์ Frank Herrgott ,อาจารย์ ยรรยง โตเรือง ,อาจารย์ เจนพัฒน์ มนตรีเลิศรัศมี และปัจจุบันได้เรียน Private กับ อ.เด่น อยู่ประเสริฐ ณ มหาวิทยาลัยรังสิต