Wannapha Yannavut

Wannapha Yannavut started her professional percussion education in 1989 at Regina Coeli College School in Chiangmai, studying with Mr. Chumpol Channarong and Ms. Nanhathai Vitayanantapornkul. Later she went on to study with Mr. Pinai Preechaporn at Montfort College High School. After finishing her bachelor’s degree in Thai language and literature at Prince of Songkhla University, she returned to music, earning the Master of Art (Music) Degree in Percussion Performance with Mrs. Kae Reed and Mr. Shane Constant at Mahidol University, College of Music. In 2016, she received the Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa, studying with Dr. Dan Moore. Additionally, she studied with Dr. John Parks for one month at the Florida State University in 2008. 

During her study in the USA, she has had many new great experiences in percussion besides classical percussion. As a member of the UI (University of Iowa) steel band, she has played a tenor pan and was on tour every summer for four years. Moreover, she was a percussionist of the Midwest Center of New Music Ensemble and was invited to perform Thomas Beverly Ocotillo, solo performance on multi-percussion, seasonally, variable electronics, and video piece at The New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, New York, 2014. 

Continuing to develop her strong dedication for percussion music, Wannapha won the Alternate winner and finalist of the UI Concerto and Area Competition 2014 on Emmanuel Sejourne Marimba Concerto and Orchestra.

Since 2006, she has been an artist/instructor of percussion at Mahidol University and director of the Integrated Percussion Ensemble. Wannapha was also the principal percussionist of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra from 2006-2012 and was promoted to timpanist in 2009-2012. Despite taking the position of “principal timpanist” only one year, the orchestra voted her, “Best Musician of TPO” in November 2010. 

In 2007, she was invited to play as a soloist with the Mahidol Wind Symphony, Ney Rosauro Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra under the baton of Major Prateep Suphanrojn. Also, she was invited to play as a soloist with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Kazunori Miyake “Elpis” Marimba Concerto and Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Alfonso Scarano in 2022. Recently, she was invited to solo Kai Stensgaard’s Marimba Concerto (World Premiered) with Songkhla Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Asst. Prof. Weerasak Aksornteang in 2023.

Currently, Dr. Wannapha Yannavut is an artist/lecturer of percussion at Mahidol University College of Music, director of the Integrated Percussion Ensemble, Principal Timpanist of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra. She is an official endorser of Adams Musical Instruments.

• The program note was provided to Thai Wind Composers by the composer.