Tanatchaya Chanphanitpornkit

Tanatchaya (Tanya) Chanphanitpornkit, a double bassist from Trat, Thailand, is a conductor focused on inspiring and educating young musicians. As a double bassist, she has performed at Carnegie Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Kodak Hall, and under the batons of Dr. Sandra Dackow, Jeffrey Grogan, Dr. Mark Scatterday, and Neil Varon.

Ms. Chanphanitpornkit earned her education from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied the double bass with James VanDemark. At Eastman, she was the recipient of the Howard Hanson and George Eastman Award and served as the president of the ESM Students’ Association. Her contributions to the community earned her the Susan B. Anthony Women’s Leadership Award and Linda Muise Student Life Award for outstanding dedication, enthusiasm, and collaboration to promote and maintain a strong quality of life for all.

She continued her education at Teachers College, Columbia University, where the emphasis of her Master of Arts and Master of Education degrees was on social justice through orchestral pedagogy and her pedagogy was highlighted in an exhibit for the Smith Learning Theater. Currently, Chanphanitpornkit is continuing her studies as a doctoral candidate at Teachers College, where she is a Florence K. Geffen fellow.

Her expertise as a teacher ranges from working with toddlers to young adults. Having taught toddlers at the Eastman Community Music School and young musicians at the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s El Sistema program and the New Jersey Youth Symphony summer camp for many years, she is thrilled to continue setting up young musicians for success in their musical endeavors.

Ms. Chanphanitpornkit currently holds positions teaching orchestra at the Nyack High School and Nyack Middle School. Her teaching positions in higher education include faculty positions at William Paterson University and Teachers College, Columbia University. She is excited to mentor and inspire young musicians and young conductors at Manhattan School of Music Precollege. As she continues on her journey in music education alongside her students, she will always base her decisions and teachings on the belief that the symphony is for everyone.