Aryo Wicaksono: A Virtuoso Talent Who Loves Opening Minds Through Music

By: Indah Nuritasari

Having a passion for music as a young boy, Aryo Wicaksono loved to shop at street-level cassette stalls in his hometown, Surabaya. "I bought all kinds of recordings from jazz, pop, dangdut, contemporary, to classical music" he said with a warm smile.

Aryo, now 32, liked making songs, playing music and improvising. But he had no direct dreams or ambitions of being a musician. "My musical talent didn't come from my family," he says of his mechanical engineering father and pharmacist mother. But he admits that they were very supportive and tried as much as they could to get him CDs of classical music. Everything changed in1999, when he moved to America, following his mother who went to the University of Southern California for her Master’s degree. Aryo was fortunate to be able to study at the LAUSD USC 32nd Street Magnet Public High School for gifted students and Colburn School of Performing Arts where his love for arts intensified, nurtured, and blossomed.

Then as a full-scholarship music student at the University of Arizona, he widened his training in classical music and music education, from Baroque era to 21st century, although he plays other styles too. "In general musicians should be flexible in learning various kinds and styles of music, and learning both baroque – classical – 21st century music will give a great perspective as a complete musician, who understands the entire structure of composition and interpretation,” he added.

In 2004, as a graduate student in Piano Performance at University of Arizona, Aryo began teaching master classes residencies in four continents, as well as teaching music to public school students who were mostly from working class, immigrant families and didn't have access to classical music at home. With the program called "Opening Minds through the Arts" Aryo and his friends approached the kids in a way that classical music is something fun, not elitist, and far from stiff and formal. “With some adjustments this kind of program can be implemented too in Indonesia," he explained.

Hailed by the SF Examiner after his San Francisco recital debut as a “virtuoso talent, offering an excellent combination of solid technique and sensitive expressiveness,” Aryo has performed as a featured soloist and chamber musician in venues and festivals throughout the United States and in major international cities. He was the first Western classical music artist to hold a visiting artist-in-residence position at the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Recent highlights of his performance include the Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto with Indonesia’s Nusantara Symphony Orchestra, Prokofiev’s First Piano Concerto with United Arab Emirates Philharmonic Orchestra, Prokofiev First Piano Concerto, a sold-out orchestral debut with Russia’s St. Petersburg State Symphony, Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto in Tucson with Civic Orchestra of Tucson, and a 10-city tour of the U.S. East Coast with Dance Theatre of Harlem. A proud Indonesian who has been living in the US for more than half his age, Aryo sees Indonesia as having tremendous musical potentials. He shared stories on how many big musicians visited and fell in love with Indonesia. One of them was Polish pianist Leopold Godowsky who was inspired by Indonesia and composed "Java Suite" consisted of four piano music books.

"A good country or civilization always has one leg deeply rooted in the past and the other strongly gallivanting to the future," said the man whose idol is the Argentinian piano icon Martha Argerich. He believes there is always a way to happily integrate local resources, culture and customs with the fast-paced 21st century's growth and modernity. As the youngest and the first Asian who has ever held the position as Membership Manager for Chamber Music America, Aryo doesn't want to choose whether he wants to continue living in New York City or move back to his hometown, Surabaya. "The idea of one-type-of-nationality is outdated,” he elaborated.

For him, a successful and sustainable path for a long term goal in everything, including musical career, always involves knowing one's strength and weaknesses and knowing how to fully utilize personal resources. "Fast model of growth, glittering "bling-bling" public success is something we have to avoid," he said, giggling. Aryo also can't decide which one he likes most: teaching, performing solo recitals, arts organization, or collaborating with other musicians in concerts." Every day, I just want to be a better pianist and a better human-being." He added with a wide smile.