Music takes Budiardjo far and wide

Music takes Budiardjo far and wide

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Pianist Esther Budiharjo may have been away from Indonesia for
nearly two decades, making a name for herself in the world of
classical music, but her native country still remains with her.

To pay homage to Indonesia, Budiharjo went against the
unwritten code in classical music by performing Asian-inspired
compositions.

These were pieces that would normally seem "alien" to hard-
core classical music fans, performed alongside a more standard
repertoire item, Chopin's Preludes Op. 28 -- played in their
entirety -- at a homecoming recital on Tuesday, her first concert
appearance here in 18 years.

The Asian-inspired compositions, Exotique (Danse Javanaise) by
composer Alexandre Tansman, and Selections from Java Suite by
Leopold Godowsky, are seen by Budiharjo as fitting reminders of
where she comes from.

"The classical music world does not know the two pieces at all
because they are actually a crossover that allow me to play music
that has something to do with my roots -- Indonesia," Budiharjo
told The Jakarta Post a day before her performance at Gedung
Kesenian Jakarta.

Godowsky named the pieces in his composition after the places
and locations he visited during his sojourn in Indonesia in the
late 1920s, such as Surakarta, Batavia, Borobudur and Bromo.

It was this Asian-inspired composition that helped Budiharjo
break through the classical music charts and win critical
acclaim.

The recorded work brought her unprecedented fame in the world
of classical music, though it pales in comparison to the fame
often achieved in the world of pop music.

Budiharjo's CD containing compositions from the two composers
has been named by the Philadelphia Inquirer as one of 10 best
recorded works in classical music.

Aside from the Asian-inspired album, Budiharjo's record label
Pro Piano has also shipped an impressive number of copies of her
two other CDs, which contain standard classical compositions.

The two CDs showcase Budiharjo's mastery of her craft. The
American Record Guide printed a glowing review of Budiharjo's
rendition of Mendelssohn, saying "her masterly account had a
mature grandeur that placed it on the level of some of the
greatest pianists in memory".

Such critical acclaim only serves to underline what Budiharjo
achieved during and after she enrolled at the New England
Conservatory of Music in Boston, where she earned her doctorate
in music.

While studying at the conservatory, Budiharjo continued to
perform in recital competitions, which she said was part of the
learning process for becoming a concert pianist.

All her work paid off in 1993 when she won first prize at the
Stravinsky Awards International Piano competition in Florida.

The best was yet to come.

In 1996, Budiharjo won first prize at the William Kapell
International Piano Competition in Maryland, one of the world's
top classical piano competitions.

Success at the competition opened the way for her to begin a
full-time musical career.

Soon after the competition, Budiharjo was invited to perform
at some of the world's finest venues, including the Lincoln
Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., La
Theatre Royal la Monnaie in Brussels and Harmony Hall in
Matsumoto, Japan.

She was also accompanied by the world's most well-known
symphony orchestras, including the Boston Philharmonic, the Omaha
Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
and the Belgian National Orchestra.

In the U.S., her recorded performances from the concerts have
been aired as a feature series on National Public Radio.

Born and raised in Cawang, East Jakarta, Budiharjo left
Indonesia in 1988 at the age of 16, saying she had to go abroad
to achieve her potential.

"I was studying with my tutor, the late Yasid Jamin, and at
one point he recommended I go abroad. I followed his
recommendation and I left for Boston, because it was basically my
mission to be in a place where I could be surrounded by culture
and teachers who are knowledgeable and experienced," Budiharjo
said.

Budiharjo, who now lives in Vancouver, Canada, acquired her
musical skills at an early age when she was introduced to piano
by her mother, a pharmacist who taught at Vienna Music, a music
school in South Jakarta. "I didn't choose to play piano. It was
already there -- my mother and my older brother played it before
me."

She quickly mastered the instrument and was writing piano-
based compositions in her early teens.

In 1984, at the tender age of 12, Budiharjo took part in the
Junior Original Concert, a competition that required its young
participants to perform their own compositions.

Budiharjo's mother, however, did not want to see her daughter
only excel at the piano and enrolled her at the Yamaha Music
School, where she took classes and studied other instruments.

"My mother told me that it would be better for me to be more
well-rounded and play different instruments," the soft-spoken 30-
year-old said.

Budiharjo, however, chose piano as her main instrument, saying
it was versatile and could imitate lots of other instruments.

With all her success and fame, Budiharjo remains a modest
woman who is still finding ways to hone her skills.

"Whatever project or concert I am involved in, it is something
that I can learn from. Life is an ongoing process and one of my
goals in life is to keep learning, to absorb new ideas and
developments in music and become a better musician," she said.

Commenting on her fame, Budiharjo said the classical music
scene was so small that if one was well-known inside it he or she
might not be known outside that world.

"I do not think I would be comfortable if everyone knew me.
Because in my case, I can still go in and out of the airport in
peace, people will not show up for my autograph and hold up my
flight: It's been a nice balance," she said.