When they are not on the road, the Ungrangsees have a "semi-residence" in Paris. Europe and Asia are where the classical music scene is most vigorous these days, he said. "I do a concert in Japan or Korea, and the people go crazy. The audience is young, lots of people in their teens, as opposed to America where audiences are older. During the concert, you'll hear them go 'Wow' when something great happens. There's an audible energy from the audience that's incredible. And the performers are treated like rock stars. Lines of people wait after for autographs."

"It's very exciting for us to be part of that," Mary Jane said.

What has also been fun, Ungrangsee said, is that Mary Jane fulfilled an LDS mission to Thailand, so she speaks Thai fluently. "I've been away so long, I now speak it with an accent. Mary also grew up in Seoul, so she speaks Korean very well. People wonder why she speaks the languages better than I do."

In Seoul, the government has made a commitment to develop a world-class orchestra. It's so refreshing, he said, to work where you don't have to worry about all the financial problems that seem to plague American orchestras. "It is exciting to be part of the building process. In a few years, this orchestra is going to be making a lot of noise."

Ungrangsee said he has also enjoyed the variety he gets from being a free-lance guest conductor. "The orchestras have all been very receptive, very professional."

In 2003, Ungrangsee was invited to guest-conduct a Mormon Tabernacle Choir performance. "That was a wonderful experience. I gave them a downbeat, and I've never heard such a huge sound. It almost blew me off the stage. It was so beautiful."

Last month, the government of Thailand honored Ungrangsee for his accomplishments on the international stage with its National Artist award. That's a great honor, he said, especially for Thailand to recognize him for classical music.

Eventually, Ungrangsee would like to settle down and be the principal conductor of a major orchestra, but for now, he enjoys the nomadic life. It's a great way to see the world and a great way to make a living, he said. "The job is never boring.

"The more you study great music, the more it becomes new every time."

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E-mail: carma@desnews.com