PIYAWAT LOUILARPPRASERT
Sonic Stigmergy and Swarm Granulation
The concept of stigmergy is referring to ideas and activities of self-organization in wide range of spheres such as social insects, digital technology, web communities and human society. Stigmergy create a mechanism of indirect coordination which cooperates both agents and actions in the ecological environment. “Sonic Stigmergy and Swarm Granulation” intend to observe the structure of “swarm behaviours” in both sonic and visual experiences. The swarm behaviors carry such potentialities of sonic gestures, waves and atmospheres as well as the interaction with physical directions, motions and visualizations. These swarming potentialities will be explored through the multimedia performances and installation works. We are planning to have 1 week for the exhibition of installation works with 2 multimedia performances during the week. Both activities are the collaborations between myself, Daniel Sabzghabaei, and ensembles.
Works:
1) Installation: “Swarm Hole”, An Installation by P. Louilarpprasert:
The idea of swarm granulation will be processed with the live coding sound software (mini Audicle-CHUCK) to generate the multitude of sonic particles. This sound granulation will be interacted with the pre-processing digital video which the motion of visualization will be oscillated based on the frequency (Hz) and loudness (dB). The whole environment of the room is the simulation of “Swarm Hole” which audience could have a self-experience by listening to the sound or looking at the digital visualization.
2) Performance and Installation: “Hyaloid Reef|Ripples”, by Daniel Sabzghabaei
The work will manifest in a two-pronged way: first as an installation and secondly as a performance which utilizes this installation. The installation will fill a gallery with many tables covered with glasses of varying sizes and shapes at the surrounding the edges of the space. Attached to the bottom of the tables will be a series of large transducers and proximity detectors which will be connected to a computer which will sense and trigger the rumbling of these tables as objects approach. Anyone will be able to interact and experience the space; however, the full realization will come with many people interacting with each table and the ensuing swarm of glass sounds across the space.
3) Collaborative Work: “Granulated, Clustered, Pixelated” an electroacoustic work by P. Louilarpprasert and D. Sabzghabaei’s Ripples.
This new composition simulates the mirage of the concept of stigmergy through digital visualization and electronic music. The piece aims to create a telematic performance and theatrical situation which focused on instrumental physicality, and its disorientation. At the same time, it would create a deconstruction of its instrumental physicality of performers with live video processing, pre-recorded video processing and live electronics. Both visual and sound would lead to the situation of “certainty-uncertainty,” “connectivity and dis-connectivity.”
Piyawat Louilarpprasert (EN/TH)
A young generation Thai composer based in New York, the recipients of 2018 and 2020 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, Piyawat Louilarpprasert has been awarded several grants and composition prizes such as American Composer Orchestra, Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra, Earshot Reading 2019, CNN News World documentation: “Young and Gifted”, The Matan Givol International Composers Competition Winning Prize 2019, Call for Scores Winner the 40th Annual Bowling Green New Music Festival 2019, Pro Helvetia Swiss Art Council (Switzerland), Creative Funds by Siam Cement Group Foundation, the Audrey Kahin Research Fellowship, Cornell University 2019, Sage Fellowship (Cornell University, NY), The Charles Stewart Richardson Scholar Award (Royal College of Music, UK), Fund for Classical Promotion Under the Patronage HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana (TH), The Otto R. Stahl Memorial Award 2018 (USA), Sergei Slonimsky Composition Award 2018 (Russia), Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute 2019(USA, runner-up), Lucern Festival Academy Young Composer Seminar 2016 (Switzerland), Rapee Sagarik Award 2018 (TH), Royal concerto orchestral composition prize 2017 (UK), Gabriel Prokofiev Nonclassical Music Competition (UK), Winner of Léon Goossens Prize 2016 (UK), Princess Galyani Vadhana Youth Orchestra Award 2015 (TH), Asia-Pacific Saxophone Composition Award 2015 (TH), SEADOM Composition Award 2015 (Philippines), Young Thai Artists Awards, Asian Composer League Electroacoustic music call for score 2014 (Japan) and Young Composers in Southeast Asia Competition 2013 (Germany). In 2017, he was a composer in residence at KulturKontakt 2017 (AIR), Vienna, offered by the Austrian Federal Chancellery and Music Austria. Recently, he won the prestige Concerto Prize with his piece, To nowhere am I straying for Orchestra and received a commission for 95ththe Charles’s Celebration (2020).
Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Piyawat’s music explore possibilities of creating the amalgamation of sonic and visual arts; including integrating multimedia and music, deconstructing instruments’ s mechanism and physicality with sound production method, and involving Thai traditional music with instrumental extension. Louilarpprasert’s compositions have been performed more than 15 countries in Asia, Europe and United States. His music has drawn attention in numerous music festivals such as Darmstadt New Music Festival (Germany), Lucerne Fesival (Switzerland), MUSIIKIN AIKA – Time of Music (Finland), Out hear New Music Festival (Greece), Saint Petersburg New Music Festival (Russia), Kulturkontakt Residency (Vienna), Gaudeamus Musikweek (Netherlands), Orkest Ereprijs Young Composer Meeting (Netherlands), Out hear New Music Festival (Greece), China – ASEAN Music Week (China), London National Portrait (UK), Mozart of Tomorrow (UK), Musica y Arte: Correspondencias Sonoras (Spain), Asian Composer League (Japan) and Dian Red Kechil Young Composers Residency (Singapore). He collaborated with several established ensembles and orchestras such as Berlin Philharmonic Horn Section and Horn Pure, American Composer Orchestra, Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra, [Switch~ Ensemble], Arditti Quartet, International Contemporary Ensemble, Lucerne Alumni Ensemble, Orkest Ereprijs, Oerknal!, Ensemble Platypus, Ensemble Reconsil, Ensemble Surplus, Ensemble Mozaik, Unheard-of//Ensemble, ASEAN Contemporary Ensemble, University Cincinnati Chamber Players, Mahidol University Orchestras, Vienna Improvisor Orchestra, University of Philippines Symphonic Band, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Stockport Youth Orchestra, RCM Philharmonic Orchestra, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra and the Thai Symphony Orchestra. He also worked with renowned composers such as Wolfgang Rihm, Olga Neuwirth, Chaya Czernowin, Helmut Lachenmann, Zygmount Krauze, Ken Ueno and many others.
Piyawat is currently a doctoral candidate in music composition at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York where he is studying with Kevin Ernste and Marianthi Papalexandri Alexandri. He has obtained his Bachelor’s degree in composition with Valeriy Rizayev and conducting with Pamornpan Komolpamorn at College of Music, Mahidol University, Thailand in 2011-15, Master’s degree in Composition and Conducting at Royal College of Music, London with Dai Fujikura, Jonathan Cole and Gilbert Nuono in 2017.
Apart from composing music, Piyawat has been serving as a director of Thailand Music and Art Organization (TMAO) since 2016 and the founder of Tacet(i) Ensemble (Bangkok) since 2014. TMAO and Tacet(i) curate variety of works and projects which transcend and expand the context of music composition into other artistic criteria and boundaries. www.tmaomusic.com. The past events included the 1st Thailand New Music and Arts Symposium 2019: Beyond boundaries, 2019 CNN News World documentation: “Young and Gifted” the series feat. Taceti Ensemble, 2018 Crossover Contemporary Concert at Studio Loos (the Netherlands), 2018 Sponsoring Crossover the six performance in Tokyo (Japan), TMAO Saxophone and Composition Academy 2017, Thailand International Composition Festival Call for Score 2016, Mahidol Channel and Try Corp broadcasting: Thai Talented Composer 2015, CMC Experimental Sound Project No.1: Hor” 2014, Shuttling the Space 2014 (Sponsor by Japan Foundation) and many more.