Thanpuying Puangroi Apaiwong (December 28, 1914 – August 17, 2000; ) was a Thai composer, thought to be the first woman composer in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. Her song "Bua Kao" ("White Lotus") is a widely recognized classic in Thailand.

Biography

Thanpuying Puangroi Apaiwong was born Mom Puangroi Sanit Wong in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

in 1914. As a young girl, she learned to play guitar and piano. After graduating from the Wattana Wittaya Academy in 1934, she attended

Trinity College London Trinity College London (TCL) is an examination board based in London, United Kingdom, which offers graded and diploma qualifications (up to postgraduate level) across a range of disciplines in the performing arts and English language learning and ...

, where she studied music. Apaiwong is considered the first Thai woman composer, gaining prominence for her work in the

Phleng Thai sakon ''Phleng Thai sakon'' ( th, เพลงไทยสากล) is a Thai term translating roughly as "international-style Thai music". It refers to Thai music in which traditional elements are blended with the use of Western notation and instruments ...

genre, which combined Western notation and instruments with traditional Thai musical styles. She composed more than 100 pieces over the course of her career. She is best known for the song "Bua Kao" ("White Lotus"), which she wrote in the late 1930s for the soundtrack of the film ''The Old Flame''. The song went on to become a widely recognized classic in Thailand, and

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

honored it as a "Song of Asia" in 1979. As a composer, Apaiwong wrote songs for plays and later film soundtracks. She also was commissioned to produce compositions for the Thai royal family and would receive five royal decorations. She was named a

National Artist of Thailand The National Artist ( th, ศิลปินแห่งชาติ, , ) is a title given annually by the Office of the National Culture Commission of Thailand, recognizing notable Thai artists in the area of intangible cultural heritage such ...

for musical performance by the Board of National Culture in 1986 In addition to her composing, she taught Western classical music. Also, On 28 December 2019, Google doodle celebrated Thanpuying Puangroi Apaiwong's 105th Birthday. She died in 2000, at age 85.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Apaiwong, Puangroi 1914 births 2000 deaths Puangroi Apaiwong Puangroi Apaiwong Puangroi Apaiwong Puangroi Apaiwong Puangroi Apaiwong