Friday, April 01, 2005

World – renowned violinist Vanessa-Mae will stage a benefit concert in aid of the victims of the Andaman tsunami tragedy at the Main Hall of the Thailand Culture Center on April 05. The concert starts at 8 pm.

The show is presented by the Bangkok Opera foundation and the International Peace Foundation, following their “Voices for Peace Concert” with Jessye Norman presided over by Her Majesty the Queen last May at the same venue.

Born in 1978 in Singapore to a Thai father and a Chinese mother, Vanessa-Mae moved to London at the age of three where she still lives. Her first performance was at the age nine and she played with the Philharmonie Orchestra when she was 10. Vanessa also had three classical recordings under her belt by the time she was 13.

She took the world by storm when she was just 16 with the release of her first classic-pop fusion album The Violin Player. The album ran up the charts in over 20 countries, shortly after its release.

Since then she has continued to record both main stream classical repertoire and her own brand of pop fusion music, in the process achieving over 40 platinum awards for her album sales of more than 8 million units. At the age of 25, she has been a superstar for a decade. And through her close links to the Red Cross Vanessa is also involved in charity work.

At her benefit concert in Bangkok, Vanessa-Mae will perform songs from her latest album Choreography. The music draws its inspiration from the rhythms and pulses of dance cultures from around the world including the Argentinean tango, the Spanish bolero, the tribal dances of Africa and the complex allure of Indian music.

The concert is the final cultural highlight of the event series “Bridges – Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace”, which began in November 2003 and will conclude next month with keynote speakers including Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi from Iran. The series was held in Bangkok and other major provinces.

The series hosted through the International Peace Foundation in cooperation with 76 Thai institutions involved 250 lectures and dialogues, seminars, workshops and artistic performances aimed at promoting Thailand as a center for dialogue and international understanding. The participants included 26 Nobel Laureates, international decision makers, the media and Thai leaders in all parts of society. Former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun and Privy Councillor Gen. Surayud Chulanont mutually chair the Thai Advisory Board for “Bridges”.

Tickets for the concert cost 500, 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 baht and are available at Thaiticketmaster booths. Call 02-262-3456 or visit www.thaiticketmaster.com