ABOUT

An orchestra of up to 16 elephants that perform at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, Northern Thailand. I cofounded the TEO in 2000 with Richard Lair, a conservationist who lives in Lampang and is the world's foremost specialist in the care, upkeep, and status of the Asian elephant. The TEO recording sessions bring public awareness to the first center devoted to elephant conservation and give the elephants a pleasant activity to enjoy - and as you will hear, to make some very good music. And one has the chance to hang out with the elephants.

The orchestra, per se, very rarely performs in public, but four of the same elephants perform music for a few minutes a day at the Conservation Center, including a bit of free solo improvisation on a giant marimba.

This TEO was inspired by painters Komar & Melamid, who collaborated with animals for years, starting with a dog in the 70’s in Russia. They started painting with elephants at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, which suggested to Richard and me, one of the Center’s directors, that we see if elephants could play music, particularly since elephants like to listen to it.

We built over 22 giant instruments, mostly steel, as well as commercial harmonicas and a variety of other instruments that the elephants can play. Many of the instruments are based on those used in the local music traditions.