Thai Elephant Orchestra

The Thai Elephant Orchestra is a musical ensemble consisting of as many as sixteen elephants near Lampang in Northern Thailand. The elephants play music (essentially as conducted improvisations) on enormous specially designed musical instruments. The orchestra was created and is conducted by elephant conservationist Richard Lair of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center and the American composer/performer Dave Soldier. They have three CDs released on the Mulatta Records label with an orchestra ranging in size from 6 in the initial CD (2001) to fourteen elephants in the last, Water Music (2011).

External links

• The Thai Elephant Orchestra at Mulatta Records (includes sound samples)
• Eine Kleine Naughtmusik: How Nefarious Nonartists Cleverly Imitate Music article by David Soldier
• [extensive article on the Thai Elephant Orchestra by Dave Soldier
• Video documentary on the Thai Elephant Orchestra by Paul Spurrier
• [article in National Geographic]
• [[1]] New York Times article on the Thai Elephant Orchestra