Resident Composer Spotlight: Piyawat Louilarpprasert

Piyawat Louilarpprasert is one of eight Resident Composers selected for the 2022 Mizzou International Composers Festival from a total of 532 applicants from 49 countries.

Piyawat Louilarpprasert

Louilarpprasert is a Thai composer, performer, and curator who works with the interweave of music composition, visual art, and sound installation. CNN News World called him “…the rebel Thai composer taking music to unheard heights.” Louilarpprasert has been awarded commissions and prizes, including: Südwestrundfunk (SWR) Experimental Studio (Germany), MATA Festival (New York), Lucerne Festival (Switzerland), Gaudeamus (Netherlands), ASCAP (USA), Pro Helvetia (Switzerland), British Council (UK), Japan Foundation (Japan), NUNC (Chicago), Otto R. Stahl Memorial Award (USA), Léon Goossens Prize (UK), and Kultur Kontakt Residency (Austria).

 In 2019, his composition, “Smelly Tubes” was featured in the CNN News World segment: “Young and Gifted.” His recent work, “Ohm-Na-Mo” was commissioned by Donaueschinger Musiktage for its 100 years celebration in 2021. Louilarpprasert has worked with several groups, including: Tacet(i), Arditti, Berlin Philharmonic Horn Section, ICE, Mozaik, Platypus, Meitar, Wet Ink, Lucerne Alumni, Switch, Omnibus, Orkest Ereprijs, Vertixe Sonora, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Princess Galyani Vadhana Youth Orchestra, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra, American Composer Orchestra.

Louilarpprasert obtained his Doctor of Musical Arts in music composition at Cornell University (Don M. Randel Fellowship 2021-22) and his Master of Music in composition at Royal College of Music, London. His major teachers are: Valeriy Rizayev, Dai Fujikura, Kevin Ernste and Marianthi Papalexandri Alexandri.

Louilarpprasert was recently appointed as a Visiting Lecturer position at Cornell University. In Thailand, he is serving as a chair and a program curator for Int-Act Festival (Thailand).

For the MICF, he has written a new work, Lunatic (2022), which will have its world premiere July 30 at 7:30 pm at the Missouri Theater. The concert will feature Alarm Will Sound playing world premiere performances by all eight Resident Composers.

You can hear samples of Louilarpprasert’s music on his website.