L

ove is in the air, with Berlin-born violinist Iskandar Widjaja warming up the audience into the Valentine’s Day mood with his “Classically in Love” concert on Saturday evening.

The concert, held at the Titan Center in Bintaro, Tangerang, started with Iskandar’s solo performance alongside pianist Christine Utomo, sending the audience clapping in enthusiasm right after he energetically finished a composition and set to start with the next piece, Ravel’s Tzigane. “Tzigane means gypsy,” said Issi, as Iskandar is fondly known, before starting the third piece.

He started out each piece with a story, creating a relaxed atmosphere among the audience, before playing hard and fast.

The second session combined both pop and classical songs, including his performance with Dexan Singers, presenting “To Love You More” and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”.

The evening closed with his collaboration with Maylaffayza, stealing the audience’s attention with “She’s Out of My Life”, “You Raise Me Up” and “The Prayer”.

Maylaf said that she was impressed with her collaboration with Issi, for which concert preparations had been made since December. The two rehearsed twice, but with Issi living in Berlin, they exchanged many emails to thoroughly discuss the concert’s details.

“I do many collaborations with musicians who live in Indonesia, but we do not talk as much [as with Issi],” laughed the 35-year-old.

Maylaf, known for her pop-classical crossover performances, started her professional music career in 2000, releasing her self-titled debut album Maylaffayza in 2008 and a single, “Sukaria” (Fun), back in 2010.

Despite his penchant for classics, the 25-year-old Issi, who launched his debut album Bach ‘n’ Blues in August 2011, said differences in music genres do not really matter due to his appreciation of all kinds of music.

The award-winning violinist described himself as a man who can be romantic, but his little piece of wood has become an extension of his unspoken words.

“I am a talkative person, but in of all these little nuances my words cannot describe, my violin can. I can show my love through tones, through the music and through the bow’s stroke,” Issi says.  

“Actually the bow’s stroke in the violin is quite tender, you know, and this is romance as well.”