On Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, 14 February 2023, internationally famous violin virtuoso Iskandar Widjaja returns by popular demand to Bali and the stage of the Padma Legian Resort.
Iskandar Widjaja does not transgress musical boundaries; he bypasses any pre-conceived limitations as he crosses over and back between classical and popular genres. This is an artist equally at home playing Beethoven with a leading symphonic orchestra or plumbing new musical territory while recording a contemporary dance and music video of Herr Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” – resulting in a breathtaking tour de force that leads viewers and listeners scene by scene through elite European salons and the Berlin’s subway system.
Descended from a distinguished line of Indonesian musicians, Iskandar was born and educated in Berlin, Germany, where he picked up his first violin at age four. By age 11, his precocious talent earned him the designation of “extraordinary student” and a coveted place at Berlin’s College of Music. While being mentored by some of Europe’s most celebrated classical violinists, Iskandar found time to also study at the Julius Stern Institute’s pre-college division, reserved exclusively for only the most musically gifted. At age 24, he completed his tertiary musical education at the University of the Arts in Berlin.
To date, Iskandar Widjaja has released six albums under different labels, each exploring different musical styles.
Alternating between playing a Jean Baptiste Vuillaume (1875) or his priceless “Stephens” Stradivarius (1690), Iskandar has performed before world leaders, played over international broadcasts, and performed on prestigious stages around the world. He has appeared as a soloist on five continents with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Munich Philharmonic, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Deutsche Symphonieorchester Berlin, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, the Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria, Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, the Maggio Musicale Firenze, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Brandenburg State Orchestra, the Collegium Musicum Basel, the Oslo Camerata, the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, the Shanghai Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic Hall and Konzerthaus, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Munich Gasteig, Tonhalle Zurich, Vienna Konzerthaus, Philharmonie Essen, Konzerthalle Bamberg, Casino Basel, Aula Simfonia Jakarta, Hong Kong City Hall, Guangzhou Opera House and the Tel Aviv Opera House. He has also headlined numerous leading international music festivals and won numerous prizes at international competitions.
Some of the international praise and accolades heaped on Iskandar Widjaja include:
- “Widjaja, with his captivatingly handsome stage presence, combines musical linearity and sentiment of the Orientals with power and muscularity of the westerners in his playing. . . He is able to push the deeply impressed audience into the world of Beethoven and make them rediscover the work through his personal touch. Solemn, vast, brilliant, jubilant . . .he displays the style of a new generation of violinists with his own personal strength.” (ARTE – September 2018)
- “World-class Violinist” – (Stuttgartner Zeitung)
- “Rockstar” – The Jakarta Post
- “Iskandar connects worlds. The complexity of his style, his musical imagination with the most varied sonic nuances and facets, as well as his flawless technique and great charisma. – (Shanghai Eastern Broadcasting Company – November 2018)
- “Isaac Stern couldn’t have wished for a brighter spotlight. If Widjaja has been received as a sort of pop star, then he’s succeeded on an even higher level in bringing rich musical values to the marketplace than have, say, Nigel Kennedy and David Garrett. His versions of Bach sound like no others. He weds strong timbral individuality to comprehensive technical command and deep musical insight. Urgently recommended! A young violinist synthesizes much value from the past with much value from the present. Intensely interesting—and riveting.” (CD Review by Fanfare Magazine.)
One Night Only in Bali – 14 February
The 14 February Valentine’s appearance by Iskandar Widjaja in Bali has very limited seating and is almost certain to sell out as he did in Bali in January 2022.
Price
- VIP Seating is Rp. 600,000
- General Seating is Rp. 450,000
- A special early bird discount of 10% is available for tickets purchased online before 07 February. NOTE: Not combinable with other discounts.
- A 20% discount is available when payment is made with a BCA card. NOTE: Not combinable with other discounts.
Iskandar Widjaja Valentine Day Concert
Padma Musical Series Event
Tuesday, 14 February 2022
Plumeria Ballroom – Padma Legian Resort