If your Bangkok trip includes a Sunday afternoon, there's a low-key classical option worth building your day around. Acclaimed Thai pianist Akkra Yeunyonghattaporn gives a solo recital titled "My Favourite Things" at Sala Sudasiri Sobha, a small concert hall on Lat Phrao 41 Yaek 7-2, starting at 4pm.
The programme is built as a loose autobiographical journey, moving from beloved classics to contemporary original works, with themes of self-reflection, mentorship and friendship running through it. It opens with Grieg's Lyric Pieces — an intimate Romantic starting point — before flowing seamlessly into Schumann's Arabeske, framed as a tribute to the pianist's own doctoral research and teaching.
The first half peaks dramatically with Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 (Pathétique), which the pianist presents as a nod to ultimate musical heroism in the face of adversity. The second half turns personal: it features the Thai premiere of "The Descent Of Ganga" (2026), a poignant work written in memory of composer and friend Wenny Fung, and a piece that folds fragments of the traditional pheng yol kharK vocal melody into Hindustani mythology as a meditation on loss and enduring friendship. There's also a serene transformation of Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze, arranged by Egon Petri, tracing a lineage back to legends like Leon Fleisher and Beethoven.
The programme doesn't stop at convention. John Cage's 4'33" invites listeners to embrace ambient sound through the lens of Zen Buddhism, and the afternoon closes with Akkra's five-movement suite Posts To Silence — dedicated to mentor Eri Nakagawa and inspired by Vietnamese monk Thích Nhất Hạnh's Five True Sounds (Wonder, Silence, Creation, The Rising Tide and Immanence) — bringing things to a peaceful, contemplative finish.
For travellers, this is a chance to see Bangkok's classical music scene beyond the big halls: Sala Sudasiri Sobha is an intimate venue in the Lat Phrao district, well away from the usual tourist trail, and a recital like this doubles as a genuine slice of local cultural life. If you're in town that weekend, pair the 4pm concert with an evening exploring the food streets around Lat Phrao — an area locals frequent far more than visitors.
