Veteran composer Sudharnoto dies

Noted composer Sudharnoto died after suffering a stroke on Tuesday evening. He was buried in Karet Bivak cemetery in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.

The composer, whose most well-known piece, Garuda Pancasila, is heard over the closing credits of state television TVRI's main news broadcast, was 74. He is survived by four children and 10 grandchildren.

His wife, Marjati, died in 1986 from cancer.

One of Sudharnoto's children, Khrisna Triadharma, said exhaustion could have triggered the stroke.

"The exhausting Idul Fitri celebration left him vulnerable to a stroke. He fell in the bathroom shortly after arriving home from a family outing late in the afternoon," Khrisna said.

Sudharnoto died en route to Dharmais Hospital in West Jakarta.

Born in the Central Java town of Kendal on Oct. 24, 1925, Sudharnoto studied music under noted composers Maladi, Soetedjo, RAJ Soedjasmin and the late Daljono.

He composed Garuda Pancasila in 1956. The Garuda, a mythical bird ridden by Vishnu, is the state symbol and Pancasila is the state ideology.

His other works include Bunga Sakura, Mars Teruna Bangsa, Pantai Selatan, Melati Pagi, Asia Afrika Bersatu and Maju Sukarelawan. Many of his works were inspired by the nation's independence struggle.

Sudharnoto joined state radio RRI in 1952 and hosted a music program. In his free time, he performed Hawaiian music with Maladi. (amd)