Indonesia's World-Class Pianist ... at 14

Jakarta Globe, Katrin Figge, January 15, 2013

Janice Carissa Kurniawan, 14, started playing the piano as a child and has
 since performed around the world. She plays her first recital in Indonesia
tonight. (Photo courtesy of Sienny Debora)

   

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At first sight, Janice Carissa Kurniawan looks like a regular teenager: the bubbly, charming 14-year-old is a 9th grade scholarship student at Cita Hati Christian Junior High School in Surabaya. She likes to hang out with her friends at a mall on the weekends, hoping to catch a movie.

But as soon as her fingers touch the keys of a piano, Janice drifts off into another world — the world of music.

She has spent two hours every day playing the piano for as long as she can remember. On some days — especially prior to a concert — she practices up to eight or nine hours. Janice has already performed at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York, and will have her first solo piano recital in Indonesia at Soehanna Hall in South Jakarta tonight at 7:30 p.m., organized by the Jaya Suprana School of Performing Arts.

Janice’s mother Sienny Debora, the founder of music school Studio Musik Sienny and a piano teacher for 36 years, realized very early that her daughter had a special gift.

“When she was only 4 years old, she could already follow the melody of very complex pieces that even my advanced students had trouble with,” she recalled.

Janice’s musical talent was certainly harnessed by growing up in a musical family — not only does her mother play, but so does her older brother Ryan and her aunt Ivon Maria, who also serves as a mentor to her.

At first, Janice also played the drums and other percussion instruments, but in the end, the piano won her over.

“Before I actually learned to play and knew how to read notes, I always ran to the piano and hit the keys,” Janice said in flawless English. “That always made me happy.”

When she was 8 years old, she won the IBLA International Piano Competition in Jakarta. It was then that Janice realized she wanted to become a professional pianist and stopped regarding music as a mere pastime. Instead she looked at it as something that could be her calling.

“I realized that this is what I was meant to live for,” she said.

As the winner of the competition, she was invited to travel to the United States and play a month-long tour, which took her to Carnegie Hall, Radford University in Virginia and other venues in Minnesota and Arkansas. It was a journey she still remembers fondly today.

“There was this dinner, and I was sitting next to Mark Stodola [the mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas], but I didn’t realize it was him, so I only had eyes for the food,” Janice said. “And when he told me who he was, I was embarrassed. But hey, I was only 8 years old, so I hope that’s OK as an excuse.”

After returning from America, Janice thrived during her piano lessons. More concerts followed — most notably a tour in Italy in 2008, and in Poland in 2011 and 2012.

Two years ago, she was invited to the Presidential Palace in Bogor to perform for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his ministers. In the same year, she also performed a duet with her brother at the Sydney Opera House.

In 2010, the siblings also entered the first edition of the Trans TV reality show “Indonesia Mencari Bakat” (“Indonesia’s Got Talent”) together. Janice also had the chance to take master classes with renowned pianists from all over the world.

“It’s a great opportunity, because I get to learn something new each time,” Janice said.

Janice has been inducted into the Indonesian Record Museum (MURI) five times already for her efforts on the piano.

Even though she is still very young — or maybe because of that — Janice has never suffered from stage fright. She also isn’t nervous about her recital tonight.

“Whenever I see a concert hall full of people, I get this feeling that I need to get out there and play,” she said. “So, I am excited, but in a good way.”

She has chosen pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Nikolai Kapustin, Carl Vine and Jaya Suprana for her debut — a colorful mix of classical music from baroque to contemporary.

When asked who her favorite composer is, Janice had to think hard about an answer.

“I love all the composers, they all have something unique to them,” she said. “But I think I like Franz Liszt the most. Whenever I play his pieces, I can feel in my soul what he was trying to say through his music.”

Janice knows that constant practice is the key to a successful career in music.

“If I take a break for only one day, my hands will feel different the next time I sit at the piano,” she said. “It’s already a little bit messy.”

Looking ahead, Janice doesn’t know yet where her path will take her once she has graduated from high school.

“It’s three more years, and I should decide what to do next soon,” she said earnestly. “Three years sounds like a long time, but in reality, time flies.”

While she still wants to be able to travel and perform all over the world, Janice thinks that she will always keep her base in Indonesia.

“It’s my country, and I love it,” she said. “This is my home. And there are so many young and talented kids who are now interested in classical music, who haven’t been discovered yet. But maybe I will study in Europe or the US first. I am still trying to find the perfect school.”

Her mother supports Janice and shares the same dreams with the young girl: seeing her perform in great concert halls in front of enthusiastic audiences. But if, for whatever reason, Janice should change her mind about becoming a pianist, Sienny said that she wouldn’t mind either.

“So far, she has never once said that she was bored with the piano,” Sienny explained. “But if she was, that would be fine with me too. I want her to follow her heart and do what’s best for her.”

While the majority of her life is focused on the piano, Janice also allows herself some time outside of the music world to explore her other passions.

“I am interested in photography, I love to take pictures,” she said, but added that nothing could ever replace her love for the piano. “It’s the biggest part of my life, and I could never let that go.”

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"The Quantum Factor" – Apr 10, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Galaxies, Universe, Intelligent design, Benevolent design, Aliens, Nikola Tesla (Quantum energy), Inter-Planetary Travel, DNA, Genes, Stem Cells, Cells, Rejuvenation, Shift of Human Consciousness, Spontaneous Remission, Religion, Dictators, Africa, China, Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Animals, Global Unity.. etc.) - (Text Version)

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