Raising funds to send the classics on tour

By Lena Rosenthal

JAKARTA (JP): Classical music, universally appreciated for its beauty and earning considerable recognition around the world, surprisingly does not have a large appreciative audience in Indonesia.

Although classical music was present in the form of an orchestra at the court of the sultan of Yogyakarta during the 1920s, it still has not achieved a popularity across the archipelago comparable to that in other non-Western cultures such as China and Japan.

To engender widespread appreciation for classical music in Indonesia, the Amadeus Music Foundation is now trying to further develop its Educational Concert Tours program. It starts with the fund-raising concert A Musical Evening with Capella Amadeus String Chamber Orchestra 7 p.m. Friday (tonight) at the Hotel Dharmawangsa, South Jakarta.

The foundation, established in 1992 by Grace Sudargo, plans to visit regions outside Java every year to "acquaint the local public with classical music through performances and workshops".

"We used to sponsor the Educational Concert Tours with the school's money, but because of the monetary crisis we had to think of an alternative way to finance this program," Grace explained.

"So far, classical music has failed to spread across the archipelago," said Grace, who is herself an Indonesian specialist in string music. "But it is our desire to establish classical music as an integral part of life in Indonesia."

With the same desire, Grace the leads Amadeus Music School, which is also part of the Amadeus Music Foundation, and is now fueling the Capella Amadeus to hold further performances outside Java.

Capella Amadeus plans to visit Bali and North Sulawesi later this year as part of the Educational Concert Tours Program 1999.

"Most activities of classical music are confined to Java," Grace lamented. "I think people in the outer regions should not be deprived of the beauty of classical music."

The foundation has previously performed in Bandung and Jakarta for various occasions, such as the annual concert at Erasmus Huis, and has also ventured further afield: Medan and Bali.

Proceeds of last year's Bali concert were donated to a music school that specializes in Indonesian music, but also has a small department for classical music.

One might think that an audience which has never been exposed to classical music might show little interest or enthusiasm, but past concerts have proven the opposite to be true.

Capella Amadeus expected an audience of "about 100 to 120 people" when performing in Medan, but it was overwhelmed by the "appreciative audience of about 400", according to Gus Kairupan, the tour manager.

Being aware of the limited audience appreciation for classical music, the Amadeus Music Foundation makes sure that such tours will also be possible in the future: The Amadeus Music School, which started with 15 students, is now training more than 100 Indonesian talents in for violin, viola, cello and piano, with people as young as 3 joining classes.

The return of former students that have continued their studies abroad ensures the further development of classical music in Indonesia.

Focusing on the works of recognized composers from the Western world, such as Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi, Capella Amadeus also performs the works of non-Western (including Indonesian) composers who have achieved a high degree of renown.

I.G. Budhi Ngurah is one of the composers whose work will be performed on Friday, as well as at the annual concert performed March 20 at Erasmus Huis.

The composer, also principal of Capella Amadeus, lives in Yogyakarta, but frequently travels to Jakarta to practice and perform as a cellist with the string orchestra.

For donations and further information about the performances, Yayasan Musik Amadeus can be contacted at 7179 1426 or 628 9616- 19.