A familiar Indonesian melody closed a media briefing at Institut français d’Indonésie (IFI) Jakarta with unexpected resonance. Following a roundtable discussion with journalists, pianist Michael Anthony Kwok entered IFI’s performance hall and played Ananda Sukarlan’s Rapsodia Nusantara No. 44, transforming Potong Bebek Angsa Masak di Kuali through the language of European classical music.
A Prize Opens the Way to Paris
Michael returned to Indonesia after completing an intensive programme in Paris from 14 to 20 June 2026. His journey formed part of the Grand Prize he received at the 2025 Ananda Sukarlan Award, making him the competition’s first winner who is both blind and on the autism spectrum.
At the Conservatoire Municipal Charles Munch, Michael completed six individual sessions with three French pianists. Orlando Bass guided him through technique and interpretation, Isabelle Dubuis explored Maurice Ravel’s music with him, and Éric Le Sage provided coaching on works by Francis Poulenc and Claude Debussy.
“This is the first time we have had a pianist who is both on the autism spectrum and blind,” Ananda Sukarlan said. He explained that the programme allowed Michael to learn from French musicians while offering the teachers a distinctive experience of artistic exchange.
An Indonesian Melody Reaches Paris
Michael’s programme culminated in performances at the Festival Fièvres Musicales on 17 and 18 June. He presented Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin alongside Rapsodia Nusantara No. 44, which Ananda composed especially for him.
By weaving Potong Bebek Angsa into a classical composition, the work carried a recognizable part of Indonesian culture into a French concert setting. Paired with Ravel, it created a conversation between two musical traditions rather than treating them as separate worlds.
“The concert was really exciting. It made me want to tell the story of my journey learning piano in Paris,” Michael said after returning to Jakarta. His response showed how international exposure can develop artistic confidence as well as technical ability.
More Than a Decade of Musical Exchange
The programme grew from a partnership established by IFI and the Ananda Sukarlan Center in 2014. Since then, IFI has hosted the final round of the Ananda Sukarlan Award and provided its Grand Prize winner with an annual summer-course scholarship in France.
Founded in 2008, the award has developed from a piano competition into a national platform for classical instrumentalists and vocalists under 30. The partnership was renewed in 2025 and expanded through masterclasses with the French Trio Saint-Saëns.
The exchange also carries historical resonance. Claude Debussy’s encounter with Javanese gamelan at the 1889 Paris Exposition influenced his musical imagination. More than a century later, an Indonesian pianist travelled to Paris to study Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc before returning with fresh interpretations of his own musical heritage.
Continuing the Partnership
Speaking after Michael’s mini-concert, IFI Director Jules Irrmann reflected on continuity as he approaches the end of his tenure in Indonesia. He expressed confidence that his successor would build on the programmes and achievements developed during his term while further strengthening cooperation between IFI and its Indonesian cultural and institutional partners.
Michael’s performance brought the journey full circle. What began with training and concerts in Paris returned to Jakarta through an Indonesian children’s melody reshaped for the concert hall.
In those familiar notes, Indonesia and France found a shared musical language—demonstrating how cultural partnerships become most meaningful when they give young artists opportunities to learn, perform and create something distinctly their own.
