September Updates

Well, it's all over. It's been a very busy month. Balance : for the educational tour, I have worked with more than 140 young musicians (mostly pianists, except in Jogja where there were vocalists too) in 4 cities in Indonesia : Jakarta, Makassar, Jogja and Surabaya. I gave masterclasses, mostly with them working on my own piano works in all cities except Makassar, where the Ananda Sukarlan Award (ASA) Junior Piano Competition was held. Unfortunately the ASA could not give the 1st prize of the highest category, but we did have good talents joining it. Since this was the 2nd ASA Junior, so we only have Ayunia Indri Saputro as the only winner of this competition, from 2013. She is leaving to pursue further studies abroad next year, I heard. ............................................................................................................................................ Anyway, the "heavy" ASA, which is the International Piano Competition will be held next year on 27th to 31st of July. Please join our facebook page "Ananda Sukarlan Award International Piano Competition" on facebook, or follow @ASAPianoComp at twitter. We would post regularly again starting now. For the moment, I have stated the obligatory works for the Senior & Junior Category only . ............................................................................................................................................ And concerning composition, I haven't done a big deal for the last month. My opera "Tumirah" was stuck last month anyway, so it was good that I had a break from composing for about a month. Many of my works were premiered: My 2nd Chamber Symphony (two movements are uploaded by I-dunno-who on youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEJScz3B2jU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsSVj6rIqzc ) was premiered at the Goethe Haus after receiving a private premiere at the residence of Indonesia's former President Mr. B.J. Habibie who commissioned it. It was also recorded during the rehearsal and the performance, so we could expect a CD coming out soon, a result of the editing of the live rehearsals and concert. ............................................................................................................................................ Another work premiered was AMISTAD, for the unique pan flute (played by flutist Andika Candra who had to learn how to blow this instrument), string quartet and piano. It was written for the concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of Indonesia and Peru's diplomatic relationship, organized by the Peruvian Embassy in Indonesia who commissioned me the whole program. There are a few songs too premiered there, sung by soprano Evelyn Merrelita and the Peruvian baritone Rudi Fernandez-Cardenas. Writing Amistad was that thing you can't learn in the conservatory. Nor there are any models for it. I think it was the first time that someone dares to intertwine (or weave, or marry, or whatever you call it) Peruvian folk-sounds with West Javanese folk music. I decidedly took the theme "Es Lilin" from West Java, although I gave it a more Aeolian treatment to match it with the Peruvian folkmusic. Someone also uploaded it on youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7uzo9a70RM ............................................................................................................................................ Several vocal works of mine were also premiered by young vocalists, soprano Mariska Setiawan and tenor Nikodemus Lukas who have been singing so many of my songs in the past (and I wouldn't be surprised if they are sick of it!). But the special thing is that these songs are written specifically for voice(s) and harp, and it was the 17-year-old Jessica Sudarta who worked hard in accompanying them. They all did a great job, I must say, and I hope they would record these songs. ............................................................................................................................................ Next is the audition for my opera Tumirah, on Sunday, September 27th. We still need good baritones, a tenor and a supporting role who is an alto. Are you one of them? Well why don't you join us?