Orchestra raise funds for its competitor

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Twilite Orchestra is going to perform on Monday for a noble cause: to raise funds to help revive its competitor, Orkes Simponi Nusantara (Nusantara Symphonic Orchestra).

Twilite Orchestra will perform a charity concert at Sajian Apresiasi Bank Danamon (Bank Danamon's Appreciation Presentation) on Dec. 16.

"Yes, it sounds weird, I admit. We are being asked to play to help revive our own competitor. We can't say no or we will be labeled as selfish," Twilite Orchestra conductor Addie MS said.

Sajian Apresiasi Bank Danamon is organized by Bank Danamon together with the Nusantara Foundation, which oversees the inactive Nusantara Symphonic Orchestra (OSN).

Danamon president Arwin Rasyid said that the concert will generate some Rp 70 million (about US$7,700) from the 1,000 expected guests.

"The proceeds from the concert will go to Danamon's relief fund and to the Nusantara Foundation," he said.

Miranda Goeltom from the Nusantara Foundation said that the money for the foundation will be used to recruit personnel to revive Nusantara Symphonic Orchestra.

Nusantara Symphonic Orchestra was established in 1988 by the then minister of foreign affairs Mochtar Kusuma-Atmadja as a pilot project for Yayasan Nusantara Jaya, a foundation dedicated to the development of the arts and culture in Indonesia. The foundation was later renamed Yayasan Nusantara.

From 1988 to 1996 the orchestra regularly performed under the direction of the late Yazeed Djamin.

"We feel that classical music should be promoted not only by supporting orchestras, but also by supporting the musicians behind the orchestras," Goeltom said, explaining that a good orchestra is one with its own full-time musicians.

Unfortunately for Indonesia, a combination of a shortage of musicians and infrequent performances have created a condition where orchestras had to "borrow" each other's musicians.

"It's true, we can't guarantee that a musician will receive a regular income so we can't stop them from playing with another orchestra," Addie lamented, adding that it gets annoying when orchestras have to rehearse at the same time.

That is why, Addie said, any effort to create an orchestra with its own permanent musicians should be supported.

"I take my hat off to any efforts to make this materialize because I know from my 11 years of being here (the orchestra scene in Indonesia) it is not a simple feat. We should be grateful that someone is willing to try it, and we should support the effort," he said.

The concert on Dec. 16 will also present the Twilite Chorus, the Indonesian Children's Choir (PSAI), soprano Linda Sitinjak, and tenor Christopher Abimanyu.

They will perform a diverse variety of songs such as pop songs, movie and Broadway musical pieces, as well as classical pieces, including I Have a Dream, The Prayer, Somewhere in My Memory, You'll Never Walk Alone, Think of Me, Love Changers Everything, Die Fledermaus, and Farandole.

--Sajian Apresiasi Bank Danamon will perform on Dec. 16, 2002, at 7 p.m. at Gran Melia Hotel, South Jakarta.