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Recital hall opens as classic music hits a crescendo
New digs: The stage, complete with a Kawai grand concert piano, can accommodate both a 40-strong choir and 30-strong orchestra ensemble, while the audience floor can be filled by up to 300 seats
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New digs: The stage, complete with a Kawai grand concert piano, can accommodate both a 40-strong choir and 30-strong orchestra ensemble, while the audience floor can be filled by up to 300 seats. (JP/Andreas D. Arditya)" border="0" height="400" width="600">New digs: The stage, complete with a Kawai grand concert piano, can accommodate both a 40-strong choir and 30-strong orchestra ensemble, while the audience floor can be filled by up to 300 seats. (JP/Andreas D. Arditya)The affluent area of Kebayoran Baru â the last residential area to be developed in Jakarta by the Dutch colonial administration â recently added a new tenant, albeit one with exquisite musical taste: Balai Resital Kertanegara (Kertanegara Recital Hall).
The hall is the youngest offspring of The Resonanz Music Studio, which is the brainchild of the prominent Indonesian conductor and music director Avip Priatna.
âI have been waiting for this kind of facility to be built in Indonesia for 23 years,â Avip told reporters during a tour around the newly-built facilities recently. âWe certainly need a proper space to host an ideal classical music concert. Thank God, we finally have it now.â
As music director, Avip has found it difficult to find a good place for his orchestra and choir to practice and perform, jostling against a growing number of choral groups and classical shows in the capital.
âWe have a very limited number of proper concert buildings in Jakarta. I hope this recital hall can serve as alternative place for musical performances in the city,â said the 49-year-old.
The recital hall opened on May 25 with a grand concert featuring the Jakarta Concert Orchestra, the Batavia Madrigal Singers, The Resonanz Childrenâs Choir and singers Aning Katamsi, Heny Janawati, Hari Sentosa and Pharel Silaban.
Balai Resital Kertanegara is located in a three-story building located on Jl. Kertanegara No. 28 in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
Itâs a 264-square-meter shoebox-shaped concert hall â deemed to be the most ideal shape for acoustics â complete with diffuser panels to enhance the acoustics, multimedia equipment and lighting rigging.
The stage, adorned by a Kawai grand concert piano, can accommodate both a 40-strong choir and 30-strong orchestra ensemble, while the audience floor can be filled by up to 300 seats.
The hall is flanked by artist waiting and practice rooms, each equipped with a baby grand piano and supported by changing rooms on the third floor. The first floor hosts practice rooms for The Resonanz music school students and a cafeteria.
span class="inline inline-none">New digs: The stage, complete with a Kawai grand concert piano, can accommodate both a 40-strong choir and 30-strong orchestra ensemble, while the audience floor can be filled by up to 300 seats. (JP/Andreas D. Arditya) The affluent area of Kebayoran Baru ' the last residential area to be developed in Jakarta by the Dutch colonial administration ' recently added a new tenant, albeit one with exquisite musical taste: Balai Resital Kertanegara (Kertanegara Recital Hall).
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The hall is the youngest offspring of The Resonanz Music Studio, which is the brainchild of the prominent Indonesian conductor and music director Avip Priatna.
'I have been waiting for this kind of facility to be built in Indonesia for 23 years,' Avip told reporters during a tour around the newly-built facilities recently. 'We certainly need a proper space to host an ideal classical music concert. Thank God, we finally have it now.'
As music director, Avip has found it difficult to find a good place for his orchestra and choir to practice and perform, jostling against a growing number of choral groups and classical shows in the capital.
'We have a very limited number of proper concert buildings in Jakarta. I hope this recital hall can serve as alternative place for musical performances in the city,' said the 49-year-old.
The recital hall opened on May 25 with a grand concert featuring the Jakarta Concert Orchestra, the Batavia Madrigal Singers, The Resonanz Children's Choir and singers Aning Katamsi, Heny Janawati, Hari Sentosa and Pharel Silaban.
Balai Resital Kertanegara is located in a three-story building located on Jl. Kertanegara No. 28 in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
It's a 264-square-meter shoebox-shaped concert hall ' deemed to be the most ideal shape for acoustics ' complete with diffuser panels to enhance the acoustics, multimedia equipment and lighting rigging.
The stage, adorned by a Kawai grand concert piano, can accommodate both a 40-strong choir and 30-strong orchestra ensemble, while the audience floor can be filled by up to 300 seats.
The hall is flanked by artist waiting and practice rooms, each equipped with a baby grand piano and supported by changing rooms on the third floor. The first floor hosts practice rooms for The Resonanz music school students and a cafeteria.
Avip said that with support from the Djarum Foundation and many donations, the hall was built over the last several years and completed earlier this year.
'The construction cost only around Rp 6 billion [US$515,796]. The building is pretty much a do-it-yourself construction. I designed the building and the contractor's a friend of mine,' Avip said.
Avip completed his studies in architectural engineering at Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung, West Java, in the late 1980s before making a pivotal turn to study choral and orchestral conducting at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, under a scholarship from the Austrian government and the Rotary Club.
In 2013, Avip led the Batavia Madrigal Singers to the first appearance by Indonesian representatives at the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Arezzo, Italy.
The group became eligible to compete in the competition after winning top honors at the Prof. Georgi Dimitrov International May Choir Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, the previous year.
Avip said that interest in classical music was on the rise in Indonesia, especially Jakarta.
'Audiences are growing not only in numbers, but also in quality and appreciation. I think the Internet helps a lot in this. People can now easily refer to top notch musical performances on YouTube,' he said.
Avip said he was happy because classical music shows have been attracting more and more people. 'Most of the concertgoers are young people. I think this is really a good sign,' he said.
Renowned soprano Aning Katamsi shared Avip's optimism, saying that she too observed a growing supply ' and demand ' for classical music.
'The establishment of the Kertanegara Recital Hall is a clear sign that Indonesian classical music is awakening. I'm looking forward to seeing more and more qualified young artists for Indonesian glory,' Aning said.
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