Assistant Professor Col. Choochart Pitaksakorn
Music Director
Asst. Prof. Col. Choochart began studying both Thai and Western music with Navy Lieutenant Yanyong Dangkul at the age of nine, and continued his violin studies with Sutin Tesaraksa. Later he pursued his music studies England, Germany, and Portugal. During his studies, Col. Choochart was a twice winner of the first prize in violin competition. He was chosen as concert master of London College of Music and the Addison String Orchestra, and was conductor of North Kensington Symphony Orchestra. He has received G.L.C.M and A.R.C.M. diplomas from London College of Music and Royal College of Music respectively.
Col. Choochart studied music composition under George Berkowitz, who was a student of Kodaly and Bartok, and studied conducting with Joseph Pilbery and Bruno Walter. He later studied jazz and film music composition with Restituto Umali in the Philippines. Upon returning to Thailand in 1962, he joined the military service and served in the Royal Thai Army Orchestra from which he resigned in 1976 and joined the full-time faculty at the Department of Music, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University; and was a part-time faculty member at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Art, Chulalongkorn University.
During his years of serving the government, Col. Choochart was invited abroad to conduct several symphony orchestras. He was decorated with the Silver Cross of Merit for the Distinguished Service by President of Austria, and received a golden record for outstanding arranger and conductor from His Majesty the King of Thailand. He had been conductor of Ibycus Chamber Orchestra for four years, and was the conductor of Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra. He was also invited to conduct the National Symphony Orchestra.
At present, Assistant Professor Col. Choochart has retired but still serves as Artist-in-Residence and Music Director of Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra; a part-time faculty of the Department of Music Education, Chulalongkorn University; the Faculty of Humanity, Kasetsart University; the Royal Navy Music School; and Executive of Board Member the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra. As a pedagogue, he has taught violin, viola, theory, composition and conducting for more than 40 years and has been playing viola seriously for more than 30 years.