A Gypsey Journey

Miti Wisuthumporn has forged a career as one of the leading violists of his generation in Thailand, performing on international concert stages, commissioning and recording new works, and nurturing young musicians. Currently a principal violist of the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Miti received reviews such as “Miti played the central section’s exposed solo with admirable nerve and control.”(Bangkok Post). His appearances as concert soloist have included the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, the Pro Musica and the Chulalongkorn University String Orchestra. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with the members of the Pro Musica, Bangkok String Quartet, as well as Andres Cardenes, Thomas Hampson, Clive Greensmith, Roeland Hendrikx and many others.

Dedicated to introducing classical music to a broader audience in Thailand, Miti worked with five fellow musicians to form the JEEB Ensemble. The ensemble sought to present core classical music repertoire in funky ways that reached a wider audience. It proved to be popular – the JEEB Ensemble held sold-out music festivals in 2013 and 2017, had a China tour in 2018, launched Thailand’s first digitally-streamed classical music album distributed by Universal Music amidst COVID-19, and will soon launch its third festival.

Miti began violin studies at age 14 and switched to the viola at the age of 15 while studying with Ajarn Chaiwat Buranamanas and the National Artist Asst Prof Col Choochart Pitaksakorn. From 2014 to 2008, he received a full-scholarship to study at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore under the tutelage of Jiri Heger, and between 2008 and 2010, received a full-scholarship to complete master degree at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he studied with distinguished American violists –Toby Appel, Joen Vasquez and Maureen Gallargher. Later he moved to Europe for further studies with Matthias Maurar, former viola soloist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at the University of Music and Performing Art Graz, Austria.

Miti is currently a viola lecturer at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts and Faculty of Music Education – Chulalongkorn University, Faculty of Humanities – Kasetsart University and Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music.