Thayarat Sopolpong
Biography
Tommy - Thayarat Sopolpong began her percussion education in 1997 at Satri Wat Rakhang High School in Bangkok, where she joined the marching band as a mallet percussionist. From 2004 to 2008, she continued her studies at the Mahidol University College of Music, earning a bachelor's degree in Percussion Performance while studying with Mrs. Kae Reed, Mr. Shane Constant, and Ms. Wannapha Yannavut. She later completed her master’s degree under the tutelage of Ms. Wannapha Yannavut.
Thayarat then pursued her doctoral studies in Percussion Performance, further honing her skills and expanding her research interests in Thai music and Thai percussion instruments. She was awarded a Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) degree from the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute of Fine Arts, Ministry of Culture, in 2023, where she studied with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supunnee Leauboonshoo and Dr. Bumrung Phattayakul. Her dissertation, titled The Isaan Percussion in New Music Applications of Traditional Soundscapes, contributes new insights to the field of Thai traditional percussion.
While working on her bachelor’s degree, she had many opportunities to perform as a concert percussionist. She was the principal percussionist of the Mahidol University Band (2004–2005), a percussionist in the Mahidol Wind Symphony Band (2005–2008), the Mahidol Wind Camerata Band (2005–2006), and the Mahidol University Symphonic Band (2004), as well as a percussionist in the Southeast Asian Youth Orchestra and Wind Ensemble (SAYOWE) from 2005 to 2006. She also performed as a member of the Integrated Percussion Ensemble and the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra (2005).
As an undergraduate student, she won several awards. She earned the Solo Performance Jury Award four times and was invited to perform solo at the Mahidol Best Student Showcase Concert. She also received a performance scholarship that covered her tuition (2006–2007). In the same year, she won the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) International Scholarship Grant to attend the Percussive Arts Society International Conference (PASIC) in Austin, Texas, USA. Additionally, she was selected for the "Thai Talent" Scholarship from Thai Beverage Company.
As a master's degree student, she was awarded the Best Percussion Jury Performance during her first year. Later, she won First Prize in the Thailand Marimba Competition at the Thailand Brass and Percussion Conference in 2009 and was one of ten finalists at the 10th OSAKA International Music Competition in Osaka, Japan. She was also invited to perform as a marimba soloist with the Southeast Asian Youth Wind Ensemble (2010) and the Integrated Percussion Ensemble. Additionally, as a guest percussionist, she had the opportunity to perform with many world-class musicians at the World Saxophone Congress XV (2009) and the Thailand Brass and Percussion Conference (2009) in Bangkok, Thailand. Finally, she was appointed Graduate Teaching Assistant in Percussion at the College of Music, Mahidol University.
As an educator, Thayarat has been invited as a guest lecturer at the Mahidol University College of Music. She has taught percussion and drums at Harrow International School, Bangkok Patana International School, the Deutschsprachige Schule Bangkok (DsSB), and St. Andrews International School in Bangkok. She received the "Trinity Awards Thailand" for professionalism and teaching skills in drumming from 2013 to 2023, as well as the Trinity Award for Excellence in Music Teaching in 2017 and 2023.
As a professional percussionist, Thayarat has had 14 years of experience with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, where she served as Principal Percussionist for over six years. She has also been invited to perform with numerous professional ensembles.
Currently, Thayarat is the Percussion teacher at Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok; First Percussionist of the Thai Symphony Orchestra; a percussionist with the Thai Classical Chamber Music ensembles Janram and Asian Sonic Force; and a member of the Stage Management Team for both the Thai Symphony Orchestra and the Sugree Charoensook Foundation.
