MY BIO

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

MICHAEL GUNADI WIDJAJA

 
MICHAEL GUNADI WIDJAJA
 - Composer, Writer, and Music Worker - 

Begin to recognize the piano at age 5 through the guidance of his mother, Marta Suryani Tanjung. At the age 9 started to learn the classical guitar. His passion of music makes him learn music theory, compositorical study, contrapuntal and orchestration under guidance of Slamet Abdul Sjukur. Studied Jazz, Jazz orchestration and improvisation technique under guidance of Jack Lesmana. He gets scholarship in Perth Conservatory, Australia (1989 – 1991) to study New Music and contemporary music landscape with Prof. Dr. Heinz Holliger and attends masterclass of John Williams (1992) and Thibault Cauvin (2012.)

Michael Gunadi Widjaja & Slamet Abdul Sjukur

Michael Gunadi Widjaja represents Indonesia at The Asian Composer League in New Zealand for his composition “Processual Procession” for chamber orchestra and gamelan orchestra (1999) and in Manila, Philippines “Reb” for guitar and chamber orchestra (2002). He makes a collaboration CD of mixed culture dialogue between Music and poem featuring Sosiawan Leak, Indonesian poem writer. The CD is collected by deutsche indonesische Gesellschaft Berlin, Germany (2011.) 

He composed the choreographical music for Dance Department of ISI (Institut Seni Indonesia) Yogyakarta for 5 years (1997-2002,) composed music documentaries especially for local government projects. Establish The Shining Star Enrichment Center - the one and only music learning center in Tegal, Central Java.

• In 2004 – 2012, he was the head of music department in City Art Council of Tegal.  
• In 2008 – 2012, he was also a member of Performance Department in Province Art Council of Central Java. 

Currently he is the chairman of creativity, music, traditional art and art development in City Art Council of Tegal. Since 1998 until now, he still becomes one of the contributor and writer in AUDIOPRO magazine. Since 2012 becomes one of the contributor of STACCATO music magazine for Jazz rubric, since December 2015 for Classical Guitar rubric. He also shares his musical ideas through his blog: www.imajiner07.blogspot.com

Read more the articles HERE

THE GOLDEN FINGERS PIANO ENSEMBLE

 Photo by: Umang Belik

He was the promoter of the piano concert of "Golden Fingers Piano Ensembles" on March 4th, 2012 at Taman Budaya Tegal, Central Java with Jelia Megawati Heru, M.Mus.Edu as the director – as the soft opening for the most representative cultural arena theater of the city with capacity of 1000 seats, professional lighting, and stage. He composed the sensual exotic composition “Kemben,” "Javanese Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and "Medley Indonesian Folksongs: Soleram - Warung Podjok - Yamko Rambe Yamko" (for two pianos - eight hands.)

Read more:

http://imajiner07.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html

http://jeliaedu.blogspot.com/2012/06/golden-fingers-kawai-newsletter-no-29.html

He also organized the concert "PIANOLICIOUS MOMENT" at Istituto Italiano (2012), that showcased the success of Shining Stars students in piano ensembles performances and performed his arrangement Astor Piazzolla "Oblivion" for duo guitar piano. He also organized "DISNEY PIANOLICIOUS" @america, Pacific Place on May, 19th, 2013 - that performed the most beautiful Disney movie soundtracks and shorts film as tribute to Walt Disney.

He was invited as guest performer by the Indonesia Guitar Society and Thailand Guitar Society for Indonesian International Guitar Festival and Competition 2013 (IIGFC 2013) on July, 4th - 7th 2013 in Bellezza Arcade, Jakarta. 

Although he is majoring in composition, he accomplished his DiplABRSM degree for guitar performance in 2015.