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.