Musician blends local tunes with classical<\/p>\n
Text and photo by Harry Bhaskara<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In this time of domestic crises, it is easy to
\nforget that there are numerous Indonesian artists abroad who are
\nstill alive and kicking.<\/p>\n
One of these artists is Berlin-based classical guitarist Iwan
\nTanzil who visited Indonesia last week. He has been living in the
\nGerman capital for 19 years but retained his Indonesian passport.<\/p>\n
Born in Jakarta in 1963 Iwan's repertoire, performed in more
\nthan 50 European cities over the last ten years, has always
\nincluded popular Indonesian songs played in a classical guitar
\nstyle.<\/p>\n
He named his collection of these songs Suite Pusaka (sacred
\ntreasure) comprising Sarinande, Ayo Mama, Lissoi and Bubuy Bulan,
\nall of them locally cherished melodies.<\/p>\n
Suite Pusaka mesmerized thousands of guitar lovers who
\nthronged the world's great concert halls such as the Berlin
\nPhilharmonic Hall, Stettin Palace in Poland and also Seoul Arts
\nCenter in South Korea.<\/p>\n
In last year's international guitar festival held in Poland,
\nSuite Pusaka was chosen to be played by a young Polish guitarist
\nwho eventually went on to win the top prize.<\/p>\n
Iwan himself was the winner of the 1989 International Guitar
\nFestival in Milan, Italy.<\/p>\n
Iwan applied to Hochschule der Kuenste in Berlin in 1983 just
\nafter he finished school.<\/p>\n
\"How can you earn a living, if playing the guitar is the only
\nthing you want to do in life?\" Iwan recounted his father's
\nconcern.<\/p>\n
\"But the guitar is the only instrument that I really want to
\nmaster,\" Iwan replied, \"at that time I never thought about
\nearning a living.\"<\/p>\n
After he finished his studies, Iwan said, it turned out that
\nhe was able to earn a living through the instrument.<\/p>\n
Iwan initially took a concert guitar course in Berlin in 1988
\nbefore going on to take a concert diploma and graduated in 1991,
\nwith honors.<\/p>\n
Iwan is married to Dr. Gundula Schulze, a university lecturer,
\nhas a toddler, Julian. They are currently on holiday in
\nIndonesia, something he finds difficult to do with ease.<\/p>\n
But his Jakarta friends and fans, perhaps too tempted to learn
\nsomething from him have virtually \"dragged\" him from his holiday.<\/p>\n
Last week he gave coaching classes to students from the
\nJakarta Institute of Arts.<\/p>\n
A discussion was held after Iwan played a number of pieces
\nincluding Potong Bebek Angsa, a children's song he composed for
\nhis son.<\/p>\n
Iwan has recorded five CDs, including one comprising the
\ncomplete works of Heitor Villa-Lobos.<\/p>\n
Both his concerts and CDs have won wide acclaim from musical
\nmagazines throughout Europe including Magazin Gitarre & Laute in
\nits German and Japanese editions and Classical Guitar, published
\nin London.<\/p>\n
A number of European composers have composed songs for Iwan
\nincluding one by Italian composer Carlo Domeniconi. The piece was
\nnamed after a traditional Indonesian string instrument, Kecapi.<\/p>\n
Iwan now teaches for about 15 hours a week in addition to
\narranging pieces and composing songs. He said he had reduced his
\nstage performances to a minimum.<\/p>\n
Rudi Hamid, a talented Jakarta guitarist who knew Iwan before
\nhe went to Germany said that Iwan's musical talent was obvious.<\/p>\n
\"It is not surprising that he was the only Indonesian accepted
\nat the Berlin music school,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"His musical sensitivity has always been extraordinary, so is
\nhis mastery of the instrument and it turns out that he also has a
\ntalent for composing songs. He is both a performer and a
\ncomposer, a rare combination,\" Rudi said.<\/p>\n
One of his former teachers, Johny Legoh, said that he spotted
\nhis talent early on when Iwan took guitar lessons with him while
\nhe was still at school.<\/p>\n
\"His enormous talent coupled with his steely determination is
\nthe secret of his success,\" said Johnny, who is a senior guitar
\ninstructor from the Indonesian Music Foundation.<\/p>\n
Besides Iwan, the guitar coaching class that evening was
\nenriched by valuable insights from Sudirman Leman, a young and
\npromising Indonesian guitarist who graduated from the University
\nof Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria last year and Benny
\nTanto, an instructor of classical guitar from the Jakarta
\nInstitute of Arts.<\/p>\n
A Jakarta guitarist, 16-year old Meilisa Husein, who took part
\nin the coaching class said that she was determined to become a
\nprofessional classical guitarist.<\/p>\n
\"I will go to Germany after I finish school and take a guitar
\nmajor at a conservatory,\" she told the Post .<\/p>\n
Rahayu Rahardjo, who heads the Gita Niti Para Samya music
\nschool in Kebayoran Baru where the class was held, said she
\nexpected to hold regular lecture concerts in her school.<\/p>\n
Upcoming lecture concerts will include guitarist Sudirman
\nLeman together with leading soprano Aning Katamso Asmoro on Sept.
\n1 and Jakarta guitarists on Sept. 29.<\/p>\n
Closer on the agenda for guitar lovers will be a concert by
\nfive former Indonesian guitar festival winners on Aug. 25 at 7
\np.m. at the Yamaha building on Jl.Gatot Subroto, Central Jakarta.
\nEntrance to this concert will be free.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/musician-blends-local-tunes-with-classical-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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