S. P. Somtow
Encyclopedia
S. P. Somtow is a Thai
-American
musical composer
. He is also a science fiction
, fantasy, and horror
author writing in English
. Somtow has both Thai and American citizenship.
was a cousin and consort of King Vajiravudh
), Somtow was born in Bangkok but moved with his parents to England
at the age of six months. English was his first language. Somtow was educated at Eton College
and at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
. He returned to Thailand in the early 1960s for a five-year period, during which he learned the Thai language. At age 11, Somtow wrote a poem called Kith of Infinity, which was published in the English-language Bangkok Post
. Shirley MacLaine
saw it, and thinking that it was written by a dead poet, included it in her autobiography, Don't Fall Off the Mountain. The poem contains the line "I am not a man", since Somtow was not yet an adult. It is thought this line caused MacLaine to assume that the poet was a woman.
science fiction magazines, and wrote several stories and novels under that name before changing his byline to S. P. Somtow for personal reasons.
and a series of related novels and stories. He was president of the Horror Writers Association
from 1998 to 2000. His other horror books include the werewolf/American West novel Moon Dance, the zombie/American Civil War novel Darker Angels and the collections Tagging the Moon - Fairy Tales of L.A. and The Pavilion of Frozen Women. In 1997, he wrote the juvenile vampire novel, The Vampire's Beautiful Daughter. He also directed the cult horror film The Laughing Dead.
's son Astyanax
survives the fall of Troy
and grows to adulthood to meet many of the characters of Iliad
.
, Kaki. Other musical compositions include the "Requiem: In Memoriam 9/11", commissioned by the government of Thailand as a gift for the victims of the 9/11 events and inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman
, Emily Dickinson
, and T. S. Eliot
.
by a Thai composer and based on a Thai language
play by King Rama VI. The opera was in English. His second opera on a Thai theme, Mae Naak
, premiered in 2003 and a third opera, Ayodhya
, was first performed in November, 2006. His opera "The Silent Prince" was premiered in Houston on October 15, 2010. A fifth opera, "Dan no Ura", is scheduled to premiere in 2011 in Bangkok.
He is currently artistic director of the Bangkok Opera
. In 2006, Somtow Sucharitkul conducted the first Wagner
opera in Southeast Asia
, Das Rheingold
, as part of a five year project to bring the entire Ring Cycle
to Southeast Asia by the year 2010.
and Bruce Gaston, an eclectic performing ensemble devoted to a fusion of Thai and western music styles and instruments, performing music by these the three composers. After his 1979 departure for the United States, the group evolved into other fusion ensembles, the most notable being Bruce Gaston's Fong Naam ensemble. On his return to Thailand in the 21st Century Somtow founded, in addition to Bangkok Opera
, the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra
and the Siam Sinfonietta
, a youth symphony orchestra. He also founded the Orpheus Choir of Bangkok.
laureate Wole Soyinka
withdrew as keynote speaker at the 2006 S.E.A. Write Award
s Ceremony in protest against the ousting of the elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra
, Somtow, a critic of Thaksin, replaced Soyinka as keynote speaker. In his speech, Somtow berated Soyinka for boycotting the awards and claimed that in 50 years, he had never felt more free. Soon afterward, Somtow's opera Ayodhya was censored by state officials under the junta, who claimed that the on-stage death of the demon-king, Thotsakan, would constitute a "bad omen" for the military junta. Somtow agreed to modify the scene and was forced to sign a document giving officials the right to "immediately shut down the opera in mid-performance if, in their sole opinion, a breach of 'tradition' occurs."
Somtow has been critical of all sides in the political disputes following the 2006 Thailand coup. Although he was a critic of the populist
government of Thaksin, Somtow stated that "The righteous indignation of Thaksin's opposition, however, went beyond the pale when they started to say that the poor shouldn't vote because they're too stupid." Somtow has praised Democrat
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
for being, "so balanced, so reasonable, so intelligent, and so well thought through."
for best Novella in 2002 for The Bird Catcher, and has been nominated four other times. He has won the International Horror Guild Award
, the John W. Campbell Award in 1981, the Locus Award for Best First Novel
(1982, for Starship & Haiku), the HOMer Award, the American Horror Award and numerous other awards. He has been nominated for two Hugos
and five Bram Stoker Award
s. In 2008, he became one of the first recipients of the newly created Silpathorn Kittikhun Award, given by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture of Thailand's Ministry of Culture. The Silpathorn Kittikhun Award has been viewed as an alternative to the more "staid, traditional National Artist Awards."
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He is also a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, fantasy, and horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
author writing in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Somtow has both Thai and American citizenship.
Youth
A scion of the Chakri dynasty (his grandfather's sisterIndrasakdi Sachi
Princess Indrasakdi Sachi or formally HM Queen Indrasakdi Sachi née Miss Prabai Sucharitakul, was a queen of Thailand. She was daughter of Chao Praya Sudharm Montri, younger sister of Pra Sucharit Suda...
was a cousin and consort of King Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VI was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death...
), Somtow was born in Bangkok but moved with his parents to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the age of six months. English was his first language. Somtow was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...
. He returned to Thailand in the early 1960s for a five-year period, during which he learned the Thai language. At age 11, Somtow wrote a poem called Kith of Infinity, which was published in the English-language Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....
. Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
saw it, and thinking that it was written by a dead poet, included it in her autobiography, Don't Fall Off the Mountain. The poem contains the line "I am not a man", since Somtow was not yet an adult. It is thought this line caused MacLaine to assume that the poet was a woman.
Science fiction
As a science fiction writer, he is known for several series, among which are Mallworld, Inquestor, and The Aquiliad. He was first published as Somtow Sucharitkul in the late 1970s in the pages of Asimov's and AnalogAnalog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
science fiction magazines, and wrote several stories and novels under that name before changing his byline to S. P. Somtow for personal reasons.
Horror
In the horror genre, he wrote Vampire JunctionVampire Junction
rightVampire Junction is the title of S. P. Somtow's 1984 novel, the first in a series about Timmy Valentine, a 12-year-old rock star who is actually a 2,000-year-old vampire...
and a series of related novels and stories. He was president of the Horror Writers Association
Horror Writers Association
The Horror Writers Association is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark Fantasy writers. It was formed in the 1980s with the help of many of the field's greats, including Joe Lansdale, Robert...
from 1998 to 2000. His other horror books include the werewolf/American West novel Moon Dance, the zombie/American Civil War novel Darker Angels and the collections Tagging the Moon - Fairy Tales of L.A. and The Pavilion of Frozen Women. In 1997, he wrote the juvenile vampire novel, The Vampire's Beautiful Daughter. He also directed the cult horror film The Laughing Dead.
Other literary works
His novel, Jasmine Nights, a semi-autobiographical novel set in Thailand in the 1960s, has become his best known fictional work. The historical fantasy The Shattered Horse holds that HectorHector
In Greek mythology, Hectōr , or Hektōr, is a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War. As the first-born son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, a descendant of Dardanus, who lived under Mount Ida, and of Tros, the founder of Troy, he was a prince of the royal house and the...
's son Astyanax
Astyanax
In Greek mythology, Astyanax was the son of Hector, Crown Prince of Troy and Princess Andromache of Cilician Thebe. His birth name was Scamandrius , but the people of Troy nicknamed him Astyanax In Greek mythology, Astyanax was the son of Hector, Crown Prince of Troy and Princess Andromache of...
survives the fall of Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
and grows to adulthood to meet many of the characters of Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
.
Symphonic works
He has also composed five symphonies and a balletBallet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, Kaki. Other musical compositions include the "Requiem: In Memoriam 9/11", commissioned by the government of Thailand as a gift for the victims of the 9/11 events and inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
, Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life...
, and T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
.
Opera
In 2000, he composed Madana, the first orchestral western operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
by a Thai composer and based on a Thai language
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
play by King Rama VI. The opera was in English. His second opera on a Thai theme, Mae Naak
Mae Naak (opera)
Mae Naak is a 2003 opera composed by Thai composer Somtow Sucharitkul to an English libretto based on one of Thailand's best known ghost stories Mae Nak Phra Khanong...
, premiered in 2003 and a third opera, Ayodhya
Ayodhya (opera)
Ayodhya is an opera by Somtow Sucharitkul. It premiered on November 16, 2006 at the Thailand Cultural Center in Bangkok, in a production directed by Dutch director Hans Nieuwenhuis and featuring Michael Chance as Ganesha, Nancy Yuen as Sita, Charles Hens as Rama, and John Ames as Ravan...
, was first performed in November, 2006. His opera "The Silent Prince" was premiered in Houston on October 15, 2010. A fifth opera, "Dan no Ura", is scheduled to premiere in 2011 in Bangkok.
He is currently artistic director of the Bangkok Opera
Bangkok Opera
The Bangkok Opera is an opera company founded in 2001 as a production company to mount Madana, the first full-length grand opera by a Thai composer...
. In 2006, Somtow Sucharitkul conducted the first Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
opera in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Das Rheingold
Das Rheingold
is the first of the four operas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen . It was originally written as an introduction to the tripartite Ring, but the cycle is now generally regarded as consisting of four individual operas.Das Rheingold received its premiere at the National Theatre...
, as part of a five year project to bring the entire Ring Cycle
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
to Southeast Asia by the year 2010.
Performing Ensembles
In the 1970s Somtow Sucharitkul formed the Temple of Dawn Consort with Dnu HuntrakulDnu Huntrakul
Dnu Huntrakul , born March 26, 1950, is a prominent Thai composer and chamber musician who has been active in the musical life of Thailand since the 1960s. Among his works is The Light of Asia, performed at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, and the Chao Phraya Suite for Orchestra.Huntrakul is of...
and Bruce Gaston, an eclectic performing ensemble devoted to a fusion of Thai and western music styles and instruments, performing music by these the three composers. After his 1979 departure for the United States, the group evolved into other fusion ensembles, the most notable being Bruce Gaston's Fong Naam ensemble. On his return to Thailand in the 21st Century Somtow founded, in addition to Bangkok Opera
Bangkok Opera
The Bangkok Opera is an opera company founded in 2001 as a production company to mount Madana, the first full-length grand opera by a Thai composer...
, the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra
Siam Philharmonic Orchestra
thumb|right|580px|Siam Philharmonic Orchestra during its 2004 Singapore tourThe Siam Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 2002 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the name "Mifa Sinfonietta". At that time it was a small chamber ensemble devoted to bringing the discipline of the classical style to...
and the Siam Sinfonietta
Siam Sinfonietta
Siam Sinfonietta is a youth orchestra founded in 2010 by Thai/American composer Somtow Sucharitkul, Thai conductor Trisdee na Patalung, and the Bangkok Opera Foundation. It was created in order to provide intensive training for young Thai musicians intending to have a serious career in classical...
, a youth symphony orchestra. He also founded the Orpheus Choir of Bangkok.
SEA Award speech
When Nobel PrizeNobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
laureate Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka
Akinwande Oluwole "Wole" Soyinka is a Nigerian writer, poet and playwright. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, where he was recognised as a man "who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence", and became the first African in Africa and...
withdrew as keynote speaker at the 2006 S.E.A. Write Award
S.E.A. Write Award
The S.E.A. Write Award, or Southeast Asian Writers Award, is an award that has been presented annually since 1979 to poets and writers in Southeast Asia....
s Ceremony in protest against the ousting of the elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
, Somtow, a critic of Thaksin, replaced Soyinka as keynote speaker. In his speech, Somtow berated Soyinka for boycotting the awards and claimed that in 50 years, he had never felt more free. Soon afterward, Somtow's opera Ayodhya was censored by state officials under the junta, who claimed that the on-stage death of the demon-king, Thotsakan, would constitute a "bad omen" for the military junta. Somtow agreed to modify the scene and was forced to sign a document giving officials the right to "immediately shut down the opera in mid-performance if, in their sole opinion, a breach of 'tradition' occurs."
Somtow has been critical of all sides in the political disputes following the 2006 Thailand coup. Although he was a critic of the populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
government of Thaksin, Somtow stated that "The righteous indignation of Thaksin's opposition, however, went beyond the pale when they started to say that the poor shouldn't vote because they're too stupid." Somtow has praised Democrat
Democrat Party (Thailand)
The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a Thai politician who was the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party...
for being, "so balanced, so reasonable, so intelligent, and so well thought through."
Awards and honors
Somtow Sucharitkul won the World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
for best Novella in 2002 for The Bird Catcher, and has been nominated four other times. He has won the International Horror Guild Award
International Horror Guild Award
The International Horror Guild Award is a recognition presented by the International Horror Guild to recognize the achievements of those who create in the field of horror and dark fantasy. Nancy A. Collins, the founder of the award, felt there was a need for an award granted by a large,...
, the John W. Campbell Award in 1981, the Locus Award for Best First Novel
Locus Award for Best First Novel
Winners of the Locus Award for Best First Novel, awarded by the Locus magazine. Awards presented in a given year are for works published in the previous calendar year....
(1982, for Starship & Haiku), the HOMer Award, the American Horror Award and numerous other awards. He has been nominated for two Hugos
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
and five Bram Stoker Award
Bram Stoker Award
The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association for "superior achievement" in horror writing. The awards have been presented annually since 1987, and the winners are selected by ballot of the Active members of the HWA...
s. In 2008, he became one of the first recipients of the newly created Silpathorn Kittikhun Award, given by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture of Thailand's Ministry of Culture. The Silpathorn Kittikhun Award has been viewed as an alternative to the more "staid, traditional National Artist Awards."