Cambodian Classical

Cambodian classical music is the court tradition of the Khmer people, centred on the pinpeat, the great ceremonial orchestra of gongs, xylophones, drums and the sralai oboe that accompanies the Royal Ballet, sacred ritual and court ceremony. Alongside it stand the mahori, a softer mixed ensemble of strings, flutes and xylophones for entertainment, and the phleng kar wedding repertory. Descended from the temple culture of Angkor, the tradition survived near-annihilation under the Khmer Rouge, when most of its masters were killed, and was rebuilt by survivor-teachers into a living emblem of Cambodian identity.