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Piano prodigy Jonathan Kuo to hold concert tour
The 17-year-old pianist Jonathan Kuo will collaborate with world-class violinist and cellist.
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Piano pride: Pianist Jonathan Kuo receives bouquets and a standing ovation after his concert 'The Mighty Fifth' with the Jakarta Sinfonietta orchestra. (Courtesy of Jonathan Kuo/-)
C
lassical piano prodigy Jonathan Kuo will embark on his first concert tour to familiarize the Indonesian public with symphonic music starting on March 25.
The Bandung, West Java-based pianist will travel to Jakarta, Bali and Surabaya, East Java, for trio concerts with Indonesian violinist Giovani Biga and Portuguese cellist Gonçalo Lélis.
World-class musicians Giovani and Lélis are currently pursuing their studies in Germany.
“This collaboration will be a valuable experience for me. I could certainly gain insights from them and hone my skills,” said 17-year-old Jonathan in a recent text conversation.
“I’m also grateful that I can perform together with world-class musicians,” he added.
For their Chamber Music Concert to be held at the JS Bach Recital Hall inside the Simfonia Concert Hall compound in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, they will perform piano works by composers Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonín Dvorák and Dmitri Shostakovich.
Each composition will represent different eras of classical music from pre-romanticism, romanticism and post-romanticism.
The tour plan came after his Jakarta concert The Mighty Fifth on Feb. 1, in conjunction with the fifth anniversary of chamber orchestra Jakarta Sinfonietta.
Under the direction of conductor Iswargia R. Sudarno, also Jonathan’s mentor, the concert was held to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, as well as the fifth anniversary of the Jakarta Sinfonietta.
“Jonathan is one of the most talented young pianists in Indonesia today with a lot of potential. I believe he will be the pride of the nation in the future,” said Iswargia.
At the concert, Jonathan played Beethoven’s "Overture", "Piano Concerto No. 5" and "Symphony No. 5".
The teenager, who received the title Young Steinway Artist in 2018, said the pieces were Beethoven’s best known works and beautifully constructed.
“To perform with 45 other musicians is more exciting compared with a solo piano concert. It has a different atmosphere. To perform with an orchestra is also a new challenge for me as I learned how to work in a team and to make each other shine in the performance,” he said. (ste)
