Natnaree Suwanpotipra

A promising young classical pianist, Ms. Natnaree Suwanpotipra was born in Bangkok, Thailand.  She started her first music lessons at Yamaha Music School at the age of 4.  She first studied piano with Ms. Narissara Pitaksereechai and later with Mr. Robert Boer.  Now, she is currently studying with Assist. Prof. Dr. Eri Nakagawa.

She won many first prizes from national piano competitions including piano solos,  piano four-hands, and electrone ensembles in the Yamaha Thailand Music Festival since 2003 till 2008.  In 2008, she received the special prize award from the Bangkok Chopin Piano Competition and a gold medal from the Ministry of Education.  She later won the Silpakorn Summer Music School Piano Competition and performed the Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.1 in C major under Maestro Darell Ang, Concert Master Leo Phillips with the SSMS Orchestra in 2009.  In 2010, she won the first prize gold medal from the Settrade Youth Music Competition and later that year performed Grieg’s Piano Concerto under Maestro Terje Mikkelsen with the Southeast Asia Youth Orchestra (SAYOWE). Natnaree was also a soloist for Harrow International School’s concert with the school’s orchestra in 2011. Earlier this year, she won first place in Thailand’s first Steinway Piano Concerto Competition.

Natnaree has taken masterclasses with many international pianists including Anthony Peebles, Gustavo Romero, Adolovni Acosta and Matthias Fuchs. Besides playing the piano, she is also a flautist participating in the school orchestra and the Bangkok Charity Orchestra as well. In 2011, she was awarded the 2011 Outstanding Youth of Thailand under the category "Arts and Culture" by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. After completing her secondary education with a music scholarship from Harrow International School this June, she will pursue her bachelor’s degree in music, majoring in piano performance, at the University of North Texas with a scholarship.