New Jakarta Ensemble to perform rare quality concert<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Tony Prabowo and the New Jakarta Ensemble will
\ntantalize local music lovers with a rare concert held at Gedung
\nKesenian Jakarta on Saturday and Sunday night.<\/p>\n
The music of Tony Prabowo has been hardly heard of in
\nIndonesia, despite the fact that he is currently regarded as one
\nof the country's most prominent contemporary composers whose
\nworks have been performed throughout the world.<\/p>\n
Along with the New Jakarta Ensemble, established in l996, Tony
\nand his group -- choreographer and musician Epi Martison, Desmal
\nHendri, Anusirwan and Armen Suwandi and Musliwardinal -- will
\nperform in the Art Summit Indonesia l998.<\/p>\n
During both performances, Tony will be supported by famous
\nFilipino conductor Josefino Chino Toledo, Canadian violist
\nStephanie Griffin and members of the Symphony Orchestra of the
\nIndonesian Institute (ISI) of Yogyakarta led by Gusti Ngurah
\nWiryawan Budiana, also known as Budi Ngurah.<\/p>\n
Tony and the group will present four compositions: For Strings
\nOrchestra (10 minutes), Autumnal Steps (13 minutes), Benang Merah
\nI (Commonality I) (20 minutes) and Benang Merah II (19 minutes).
\nThe fourth composition which will be performed solo by violist
\nStephanie Griffin.<\/p>\n
These compositions are the result of Tony's long and dedicated
\nwork in the contemporary music world.<\/p>\n
Born in Malang, East Java, in 1956, Tony's fascination with
\nmusic was aroused at a young age. It was his father who
\nindirectly introduced him to the world of music when he bought a
\nguitar, but did not allow his eight-year-old son to touch it.<\/p>\n
Later, he dropped out of secondary school to pursue a music
\ncareer. He started by taking a guitar course in Surabaya and then
\ntook formal music lessons from the famous composer Slamet Abdul
\nSjukur.<\/p>\n
By the l980s, he had composed music for renowned dancers and
\nchoreographers. Between l983 and l987, he worked closely with
\nLaksmi Simanjuntak, and from l987 to l991 with Sardono W. Kusumo
\nin Indonesia and in Japan.<\/p>\n
He also worked with theater director W.S. Rendra in the
\nproduction of The Ritual of Solomon's Children, which was
\nperformed at the New York International Festival of the Arts.<\/p>\n
Achievements<\/p>\n
His achievements include the score for the experimental play
\nBlurred Vision, co-directed by Karen Williams and Tom Andrews at
\nthe Jakarta Arts Center and New York Theater in New York city.<\/p>\n
In l990, Tony composed the music for Homo Sapiens, an
\ninstallation work displayed by Teguh Ostenrik at Taman Ismail
\nMarzuki Arts Center in Jakarta. In the same year, Tony was one of
\na handful of composers selected to participate in an
\ninternational composers workshop at the Gaudeamus Foundation in
\nAmsterdam, the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
His interest in film led him to produce music for various
\nlocal documentaries and feature films. He also composed music for
\nthe much praised dance\/theater production of Panji Sepuh,
\ndirected by Sulistyo Tirtokusumo, with lyrics by Indonesian poet
\nGoenawan Mohamad. The play was performed in Indonesia, Australia
\nand South Korea.<\/p>\n
In addition to this, Tony also collaborated with two of
\nIndonesia's finest puppeteers and a corresponding American
\nartistic team in a tri-lingual (English, Javanese, Balinese)
\nproduction which that premiered in Seattle, Minneapolis and
\nChicago in the United States.<\/p>\n
Adila Suwarmo, Tony's manager, says Tony wishes to keep a low-
\nprofile despite his great achievements.<\/p>\n
\"It's common for Indonesian musicians to be invited to perform
\nhis works in foreign countries. But Tony is different. He is
\nfrequently asked by foreign orchestras and opera groups to write
\ncompositions for them,\" said Adila.<\/p>\n
This was a kind of international acknowledgement toward the
\nworks of an Indonesian artist, Adila said.<\/p>\n
Since the early l990s, Tony has been actively writing
\ncompositions both for local and foreign performers.<\/p>\n
In l992, he composed A Tale Before Sleep, a piece for a
\nsoprano accompanied by a mixed ensemble, which was first
\nperformed by ISI Yogyakarta, conducted by Budi Ngurah.<\/p>\n
This work was performed again in Amsterdam in l995, and later
\nin New York under the direction of Joel Sachs, at Focus!, a music
\nfestival of the Julliard School of Music.<\/p>\n
The following year in l996, Tony was invited to write another
\npiece for the New Julliard Ensemble. He composed Autumnal Steps,
\nwhich was performed in New York in December, with the solo viola
\npart played by Stephanie Griffin.<\/p>\n
From October l997 to April l998, Tony resided in New York as
\nan Asian Cultural Council grantee.<\/p>\n
There he continued to work with Stephanie Griffin, who
\npremiered Music for Viola and Pre-recorded Tape, at the Ford
\nFoundation in New York.<\/p>\n
Also while in New York, Tony revised Autumnal Steps, in
\npreparation for a performance by the Seattle Creative Orchestra
\nunder Brian Fairbanks in February l998. This concert included
\nworks by Bun Ching Lam, Paul Dresher and Lou Harrison. Upon his
\nreturn to New York from Seattle, he immediately wrote Requiem for
\nStrings (For Strings Orchestra).<\/p>\n
Though specially written for the Art Summit II, he had the
\nopportunity to have it performed in April l998 in an informal
\nconcert at the Mannes School of Music in New York under the
\ndirection of Vietnamese conductor Co-Nguyen.<\/p>\n
Tony and the New Jakarta Ensemble, in collaboration with
\nChinese choreographer Yin Mei and sculptor painter Xue Bing, will
\nperform at the Asia Society in New York late this month.<\/p>\n
After that performance, the Ensemble is scheduled to remain in
\nNew York to make a recording of their standard and new
\nrepertoire, produced by Siam Records.<\/p>\n
Upcoming projects for Tony include two operas with librettos
\nby Goenawan Mohamad. The first one, The King's Witch, is to be
\nperformed by the New Julliard Ensemble at Alice Tully Hall, New
\nYork, in April l999.<\/p>\n
In autumn l999, the operetta Kali, which was written in
\ncollaboration with American composer Jarrad Powell, will have its
\npremiere in Seattle. (raw)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-jakarta-ensemble-to-perform-rare-quality-concert-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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