Nipat Kanchanahud
Biography
Nipat Kanchanahud, D.M.A., is a full-time faculty member in the Department of Western Music, Faculty of Humanities, Kasetsart University. While he serves as the Conductor in Residence of the Kasetsart University Wind Symphony, Nipat has collaborated with many world-class musicians and composers, namely Prof. Boris Berman, a famous pianist and professor from Yale University; Dr. Indhuon Srikaranonda, a renowned pianist from Thailand; Dr. Timothy Thompson, a well-known hornist from the University of Arkansas; Jan Van de Roost; and Satoshi Yagisawa.
Nipat Kanchanahud completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting Performance (D.M.A. Conducting Performance) from the University of North Texas, Denton, TX, U.S.A., where he was a doctoral conducting associate of North Texas Wind Studies, as well as a guest conductor of the North Texas Wind Symphony, North Texas Symphonic Band, and North Texas Concert Band. He was also a graduate teaching fellow in the Wind Conducting class of Prof. Eugene M. Corporon and Prof. Dennis W. Fisher. While studying, Nipat served as the drill formation designer for “The Green Brigade” UNT Marching Band from 2004 to 2006 and 2012 to 2015 under the direction of Dr. Nicholas E. Williams. In addition, he studied horn with Prof. William Scharnberg and was a horn player in the North Texas Wind Symphony. A native of Krabi Province, Dr. Nipat started his music education in Bangkok while in secondary school at Wat Suthiwararam School, one of Thailand's leading schools for wind band. He grew up in the environment of wind bands during his six years in secondary school and was selected to be a band leader for the last two years of his studies.
Nipat graduated from the Department of Music, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, with 2nd Class Honors in 1990, where he had the opportunity for the first time to take a conducting class with Associate Professor Dr. Thongsuang Israngkur na Ayudhya, which led him to pursue his future career as one of Thailand’s most prominent wind band conductors and directors. In August 2006, he completed his Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting (M.M. Wind Conducting) from the University of North Texas, Denton, TX, U.S.A., where he was a master’s conducting associate at the University of North Texas Wind Studies.
Having been appointed as a horn player in the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra from 1988 to 1995, Nipat had many opportunities to perform and work with famous conductors and musicians. He passed the audition to participate in the “1st ASEAN Symphonic Band Workshop” in Singapore in April 1992. Later that year, he was selected among youth from all Asian countries to participate in the “Asian Youth Orchestra Music Camp and Concert Tours 1992.”
Nipat is regarded as one of Thailand's most famous drill formation designers and has conducted workshops on drill design on many occasions. In 1998, he was selected to be the Drill Formation Director of the 13th ASIAN GAMES’ opening and closing ceremonies. In 2011, he was invited to conduct the Wind Ensemble at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). While in residence, he worked with music performance and education students in the conducting class.
From 2012 to 2015, as a doctoral conducting associate of North Texas Wind Studies, he was a guest conductor of the North Texas Wind Symphony, North Texas Symphonic Band, and North Texas Concert Band. He was invited to conduct the Ohio University Wind Symphony in the Spring 2014 Concert and the 2015 Summer Concert.
Nipat Kanchanahud has served as a jury member in many prestigious marching band competitions worldwide. He was one of the jury members of the Show Band Competition and Concert Percussion Competition at the World Music Contest in 2005, 2009, and 2017 in Kerkrade, The Netherlands, where he also participated in the 3rd International Round Table Conference at Rolduc Conference Center in July 2005. Moreover, he was invited by the World Association of Marching Show Bands to be on the judges' panel of the World Marching Show Band Championships throughout the world. In 1998 and 2008, he was invited by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Singapore to serve on the panel of judges for the “Grand National Marching Band Competition.”
Nipat Kanchanahud was a recipient of the University of North Texas Academic and Graduate Assistantship Tuition Scholarship Award while studying for his doctoral degree. In addition, he is an honorary member of the Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity. He is a sought-after recording associate producer and editor, having been involved with numerous CDs and DVDs on the Klavier, Mark Records, GIA, and UNT labels.
In addition to his work in the recording arts, he has written conductor study guides that are published in the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band Series Vol. 10 (2015), Middle School (2015), Vol. 11 (2017), and Vol. 12 (2020). In July 2023, as a conductor, he was invited to lead the Kasetsart Winds in a performance at Lila Cockrell Theater during the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA) Convention 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. He also conducted a clinic at the TBA 2023 convention titled “Winds of Siam: A Cross-Cultural Experience for Wind Bands.”
