Nuansa Klasika to perform tonight at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta

By Laksmi Pamuntjak-Djohan

JAKARTA (JP): The current malaise in Jakarta's classical music world proves that good intentions alone are not enough.

Regularity has not been among the scene's redeeming features lately. Shackled by petty infighting, prejudices and the lack of the "right connections", many musicians find the practice of building a reputation is tantamount to a lifetime of longing, not a logical reward for merit.

The fact that certain groups, including chamber musical ensemble Nuansa Klasika (Classical Nuances), have been able to resist fading into obscurity is no mean feat. Having performed at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta only last year, Nuansa Klasika is now gearing up for another concert tonight at 8 p.m. at the same venue.

The group's portfolio is quite impressive considering it was only formed in 1995. It has performed in embassy residences, all of Jakarta's leading venues including Erasmus Huis, and has even landed spots on TV and radio.

Experienced the members certainly are. Clarinetist Karen Ellis-Chong, a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, is evidently at home with chamber music, having participated in various prestigious overseas chamber music ensembles.

Since moving to Indonesia in 1994, she has performed under the auspices of AKT Musik Indonesia and The Circle, as well as with Jakarta's International Music Foundation. Outside of Indonesia and the United States, her performances have taken her to Russia, Romania, Hungary, Austria and Hong Kong.

Sterling credentials also belong to violinist Sharon Eng. She obtained her bachelor's and master's degrees in music performance from the famous Juilliard School in New York, later representing the United States in Herbert von Karajan's International Youth Orchestra in Berlin. She was also awarded several prestigious fellowships.

Eng has also had her fair share of orchestral playing, notably with the orchestras of the American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Opera. Her solo experience includes a performance with the National Cathedral Orchestra in Washington.

Ary Sutedja, one of Indonesia's leading pianists and accompanists, is no stranger to Jakarta's classical music scene. While studying for her master's degree at Towson State University in Baltimore, she won numerous awards for outstanding achievements. Her European experience includes post-graduate studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, as well as extensive touring as a pianist with the Bremen Opera Theatre.

Career

Oboist Soun-Youn Yoon also has a solid local and international career to her credit. An honors graduate of the Faculty of Music at the Seoul National University and a frequent winner of South Korea's important musical awards, Yoon has established a professional career, including performances in the United States, Japan and Malaysia, and orchestral contracts with the Korean Symphony Orchestra and the Seoul Symphony Orchestra. In May 1995, she made her Indonesian debut at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, accompanied by Ary.

In an age when technical competence and a diverse repertoire are no longer rarities, what supposedly sets Nuansa Klasika apart from other groups is its policy of commissioning original compositions for each of its performances.

"It is important for us to present the works of living composers," explained Ary. "Not only does this give us a distinctive feature, but it also keeps audiences abreast with the latest musical ideas and inspiration."

So far, the group has premiered compositions from Indonesia, Russia and England. The latest, Cheon Hee Choi's Quartet for Oboe, Clarinet, Viola and Piano, will be featured in the upcoming concert.

Cheon is a highly-respected South Korean composer whose early training in percussion is reflected in this particular work's blend of percussive elements, minimalism and a pentatonic framework common to so many Asian musical cultures.

Apart from the quartet, this evening's program will consist of Arthur Foote's Sarabande and Rigaudon for oboe, violin and piano, C. Reinecke's Trio in A major for clarinet, viola and piano and J.S. Bach's Concerto in D minor for oboe and clarinet, which has been transcribed to include a piano accompaniment.

The choice of Foote and Reinecke is reflective of Nuansa Klasika's proclivity towards introducing rarely-performed compositions -- which is another proven way of extending public knowledge of classical music's vast repertoire.