The Bangkok Opera Foundation organized the first Mozart and More Mini-Festival in 2002, when the newly created Siam Philharmonic (then known as the Bangkok Sinfonietta) had three concerts. That festival included the Mozart Requiem and the Thai premiere of Haydn's "Mass in Time of War" - performed ironically on the eve of the invasion of Iraq.
Since then there have been eight festivals and the 9th festival, this year, celebrates 13 years of exciting music making inspired by the divine genius of Mozart.
JAN 4: CULTURAL CENTER SMALL HALL at 8 pm
"THE JOURNEY - MOZART TO BARTOK"
Some of Thailand's most talented young musicians get together to perform chamber music from many periods. Musicians include Tanayut Jansirivorkul ("Top") and Trisdee na Patalung perform a Mozart sonata, Clarinettist Le Dai, pianist Christopher McKiggan and VieTrio star violinist Paye Srinarong in a wide-ranging program from Muczynski to Schumann to Bartok.
JAN 5: CULTURAL CENTER SMALL HALL at 8 pm
THE SHOUNEN-THAI QUARTET
"THE JOY OF DISSONANCES"
They haven't appeared in public for a few years, but this brilliant "boy band" who have been playing together since their mid-teens is relaunching itself in 2016 in preparation for an international tour. They will play the work with which the quartet first broke into public consciousness when they were all 15-16 years old, the Shostakovich Eighth. Plus Mozart's gorgeously daring "Dissonance Quartet."
JAY 6: CULTURAL CENTER SMALL HALL at 8 pm
NANCY YUEN, SOPRANO
THE SIAM ORPHEUS CHAMBER CHOIR
SIAM SINFONIETTA
"EPIPHANIES"
One of Southeast Asia's leading sopranos appears to cap the festival with the 16-year-old Mozart's first masterpiece to never leave the international repertoire, the motet "Exsultate, Jubilate", with the Siam Sinfonietta under Somtow Sucharitkul, and the newly formed Siam Orpheus Chamber Choir performs music that celebrates "Epiphany", the official last day of Christmas.