The Guitar SA International Artist Series presents guitarist Ekachai Jearakul live at Colonial Hills UMC on Sunday Oct. 18, 2015 at 7pm. Made possible in cooperation with the Guitar Foundation of America and our sponsors at ABH Hospitality Management, admission is FREE. A $15 donation is encouraged. All proceeds benefit Guitar SA educational outreach programs.
Ekachai Jearakul, classical guitarist
Ekachai Jearakul is considered one of today's most outstanding classical guitarists on the international scene. In 2014, he became the first Asian guitarist to win the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition (GFA). This prize entails a fiftyconcerts tour in many countries also in the United States culminating in a Carnegie Hall debut in New York City, and recordings on the Naxos and the GHA labels, with worldwide distribution.
Between 2003 and 2014, Ekachai earned an impressive list of honors, which include twelve first prizes at prestigious international guitar competitions in Europe, Asia, and North America. He has performed in over sixteen countries, including Thailand, China, France, Korea, Russia, Greece, Japan, Austria, England, Italy, Germany, Maxico, Philippines,Indonesia,Spain,Singapore and the United States. In 2011, he commissioned new arrangements and recorded a CD with music of the King of Thailand, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Ekachai has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as JoAnn Falletta and Bundit Ungrangsee, and has appeared with orchestras around the world, including the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, the International Orchestra of Italy, the Unity Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ukraine Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Ensemble of Soloists "Kiev Camerata," the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute Orchestra (Thailand), the Orquesta Sinaloá de los Artes (Mexico), and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (USA).
Born in 1987 in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, Ekachai Jearakul started guitar studies at the age of thirteen. His professional training, as a full scholarship student, began at Mahidol University College of Music, where he completed a Bachelor in Music degree in Classical Guitar Performance with Dr. Paul Cesarczyk. Subsequently, Ekachai went on to earn a Master's degree in Guitar Performance at Salzburg's Mozarteum with Prof. Marco Tamayo.
