Speaker series as part of a collaboration between UCLA and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts-University of the Arts Singapore

Wednesday, February 25, 2026
5:00 PM - 6:15 PM (Pacific Time)
Webinar

Thai performing arts, including dance, music, and storytelling, play a key role in bringing together Southern California’s Thai community, addressing immigration, displacement, and generational resilience. These traditions offer spaces for families to adapt to new environments, maintain cultural identity, and build relationships. Onstage performances frequently depict migration stories, reinforcing ties to heritage and helping immigrants and displaced individuals feel connected even far from home. Events like the Songkran and Loy Krathong festival unite elders, youth, and newcomers, providing platforms for multigenerational storytelling and collective celebration of Thai roots. Despite successes, challenges—such as navigating government regulations for public performances—highlight the importance of ongoing communication and respect. Collaboration across temples, nonprofits, academic institutions, and government agencies is crucial for sustaining Thai arts. Temples anchor cultural activities, nonprofits contribute funding, universities support research and training, and engaged government bodies help with logistics and event approval. Through these combined efforts, Thai performing arts both preserve cultural heritage and strengthen social bonds, fostering belonging and resilience among Southern California’s Thai diaspora.

Supeena Insee Adler studied Thai classical music performance and instrument maintenance at Mahasarakham University in northeast Thailand before earning her MA in Southeast Asian Studies and Ph.D. in ethnomusicology at the University of California, Riverside. She is the curator and conservator of the World Musical Instrument Collection at UCLA and an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Ethnomusicology, where she directs the Music of Thailand ensemble. She is also active as a performer, teacher, and instrument technician among the Thai community of Southern California. She has produced major concert events in conjunction with the Royal Thai Consulate General and has consulted with the U.S. Library of Congress as well as the British Library concerning their collections of Thai instruments and audio recordings. Her publications and research interests lie in ritual, classical, and folk music of Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. 

Sponsor(s): Center for Southeast Asian Studies, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, UCLA Center for Performance Studies, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts-University of the Arts Singapore