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Mr. Somtow Sucharitkul, penname S.P. Somtow, is a distinguished Thai artist with a half-century career that includes music, film, and literature. He is a renowned figure in the arts in the international community as well as in Thailand. His international music career began at the age of 19 when he co-wrote and conducted the “Holland Symphony” in honor of the jubilee of HM Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, which was broadcasted on national Dutch TV. Mr. Somtow’s compositions often combine Thai and Western sonorities in innovative ways. His operas, for example, include adaptations of Thai subjects, such as Madana (an adaptation of Matthanaphatha by His Majesty King Vajiravudh), Mae Naak, and the 10-opera DasJati series. He has also been a guest conductor in many countries and has taken his own orchestra on tour across four continents, performing in prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall in New York and the Musikverein in Vienna.