Iskandar Widjaja

Widjaja was born in Berlin. His grandfather is the Indonesian composer Udin Widjaja,{{Cite news |language=en |first=Marcel |last=Thee |title=Iskandar Widjaja celebrates each note with 'Mercy' |url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/10/12/iskandar-widjaja-celebrates-each-note-with-mercy.html |website=The Jakarta Post |access-date=15 December 2020}} and his parents are Indonesian.{{Cite web|language=en |title=Violinist without Borders: Iskandar Widjaja |date=2020-03-21 |website=Deutsche Welle |url=https://www.dw.com/en/violinist-without-borders-iskandar-widjaja/av-47325814 |access-date=15 December 2020}} Widjaja began playing the violin at the age of four. At the age of eleven, he became a {{Ill|Young Student|de}} of Werner Scholz at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" and later of Joachim Hantzschk. In 2003, he moved to the Stern Conservatory of the Berlin University of the Arts to study with Uwe-Martin Haiberg and Ilan Gronich.

Concert tours have taken him to all five continents with the Berlin Philharmonie, the Aula Simfonia Jakarta, the Tel Aviv Opera House, the Hong Kong City Hall. He regularly appears as a soloist with orchestras such as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the German Symphony Orchestra and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and the Warsaw, Munich and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestras.

In 2013, he performed for the first time in Hong Kong{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918014209/http://www.hksl.org/concert_schedule/concert_details/25 |url=http://www.hksl.org/concert_schedule/concert_details/25 |archive-date=2013-09-18 |title=Concert Schedule |lang=en |website=Hong Kong Sinfonietta}} and played at the opening event of the APEC Summit in Bali.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015003846/http://us.dunia.news.viva.co.id/news/read/449487-biola-iskandar-widjaja-pukau-para-ceo-di-ktt-apec |url=http://us.dunia.news.viva.co.id/news/read/449487-biola-iskandar-widjaja-pukau-para-ceo-di-ktt-apec |archive-date=2013-10-15 |title=Biola Iskandar Widjaja Pukau Para CEO di KTT APEC |work=ViaNews |date=6 October 2013 |department=Dunia |lang=id}}

In 2014, he made his debut at the Münchner Philharmoniker conducted by Christoph Eschenbach.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mphil.de/en/concerts/2014/06/1738.html |title=Maintz - Mozart - Beethoven {{!}} Homepage der Münchner Philharmoniker |lang=de |access-date=2020-12-15 |archive-date=2018-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815091231/https://www.mphil.de/en/concerts/2014/06/1738.html |url-status=dead }}

In 2007–2009, Widjaja played on a more than 150 year old violin by Nicolas Darche, which was given to him on loan as a multiple prize winner of the Competition of the German Musical Instrument Fund.{{Cite web |url=http://www.deutsche-stiftung-musikleben.de/stipendiaten/solistenMaske.html?TID=20070321170917 |title=biography at deutsche-stiftung-musikleben.de |access-date=2020-12-15 |archive-date=2011-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025064254/http://www.deutsche-stiftung-musikleben.de/stipendiaten/solistenMaske.html?TID=20070321170917 |url-status=dead }}

He currently{{when?|date=August 2024}} plays a violin by JB Vuillaume, 1875, as well as the Stradivarius "Stephens" 1690, on loan from Florian Leonhardt.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

On 29 May 2016, he made his debut at the Berlin Philharmoniker with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Christoph Eschenbach.

At the same time, he frequently performs at mass media events such as Miss World or Miss Earth, the Davis Cup, the EXPO in Milan, Fashion Week in Paris or for the world premiere of the Suite for Violin and Orchestra "Across the Stars" from Star Wars by John Williams at the Wiener Konzerthaus.{{Cite web |url=http://hollywoodinvienna.com/en/people/iskandar-widjaja |title=Hollywood in Vienna |access-date=15 December 2020|language=en}}

Iskandar is heavily involved in educational projects for children in the Asia-Pacific region, in collaboration with UNICEF{{Cite web |url=http://www.westinnusaduabali.com/unicef2012 |title=A Heartfelt Evening of Inspiring Music and Community Spirit at The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali |access-date=15 December 2020 |language=en}} and the WWF (World Wrestling Federation). With KOMPAS Gramedia, Indonesia's largest media group, he organised charities to fund musical instruments and lessons for street children.

In 2018, the {{Ill|DEAG Deutsche Entertainment|de}} hosted his first own tour of Germany{{Cite web |url=https://www.deag.de/singlenews/view/ausnahmegeiger-iskandar-widjaja-geht-auf-erste-eigene-deutschlandtour.html |title=DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG - Singlenews |access-date=15 December 2020 |language=en |archive-date=30 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730170805/https://www.deag.de/singlenews/view/ausnahmegeiger-iskandar-widjaja-geht-auf-erste-eigene-deutschlandtour.html |url-status=dead }} among others at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.{{Cite web |url=https://www.elbphilharmonie.de/de/programm/iskandar-widjaja/11272 |title=Di, 25.9.2018 - Iskandar Widjaja - Elbphilharmonie Hamburg - Elbphilharmonie |access-date=15 December 2020 |language=de |archive-date=30 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730202642/https://www.elbphilharmonie.de/de/programm/iskandar-widjaja/11272 |url-status=dead }}

• 2003: Four-year scholarship to Indiana University Bloomington.
• 2004: First prize at the national Jugend musiziert competition in the violin solo category and 2nd prize at the Queen Sophie Charlotte international competition.
• 2006: Third Prize at the Violin Competition of the Ibolyka Gyarfas Foundation.
• 2008: First prize at the International Hindemith Competition and award of the Paul Hindemith Gold Medal and the Maggini Foundation Prize
• 2008: Gerd Bucerius-Scholarship from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, which enabled him to take part in the International Violin Master Class. "Keshet Eilon" in Tel Aviv with Ida Haendel, Shlomo Mintz and Eduard Dawidowitsch Gratsch.
• 2009: Special prize "Bester Bach" and "Beste Beethoven Sonate" at "Concorso Internazionale Violinistico Andrea Postacchini"
• 2009: First "Goldener Julius" in the "Junior Julius" category for extraordinary talent in violin playing.
• 2013: LOTTO-Förderpreis des Rheingau Musik Festival[https://web.archive.org/web/20131004084843/http://www.rheingau-musik-festival.de/rmf,en,303,2013-iskandar-widjaja,festival.html 2013: Iskandar Widjaja]

• 2011: Bach 'N' Blues (OehmsClassics Musikproduktion GmbH)
• 2014: Precious Refuge (OehmsClassics Musikproduktion GmbH)
• 2015: Tango Fuego/Trio Cayao (OehmsClassics Musikproduktion GmbH)
• 2018: Schumann Violin Sonate Nr. 2, Fantasie für Violine und Orchester op. 121, Christoph Eschenbach, Deutsches-Symphonieorchester Berlin (OehmsClassics Musikproduktion GmbH){{Cite book|title=IDAGIO is not available in your region |url=https://www.idagio.com/de/playlists/schumann-violin-sonata-2-phantasie-widjaja-eschenbach-dso |access-date=15 December 2020}}
• 2018: Mercy (Edel/Neue Meister)
• 2019: Fazıl Say, 1001 Nights in the Harem (Sony Classical), Iraz Yildiz, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Howard Griffiths
• 2020: Iskandar Widjaja - Hip Hop Symphony

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• {{DNB portal|101493950X}}
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• {{Official|http://www.iskandarwidjaja.com/}}
• [http://renneberg.eu/showcase/portrait-filme/iskandar_widjaja/index.html Filmporträt von brainworkers & more]
• [https://www.youtube.com/user/violissi Iskandar Widjaja bei YOUTUBE]
• [http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/06/09/iskandar-widjaja-pulling-all-right-strings.html Iskandar Widjaja: Pulling all the Right Strings], Article in the Jakarta Post dated 9 June 2013
• [https://www.welt.de/icon/partnerschaft/article174292146/Iskandar-Widjaja-Kuenstler-nicht-in-Schubladen-stecken.html Iskandar Widjaja: Künstler nicht in Schubladen stecken]{{Cite news |url=https://www.welt.de/icon/partnerschaft/article174292146/Iskandar-Widjaja-Kuenstler-nicht-in-Schubladen-stecken.html |title=welt |newspaper=Die Welt |date=9 March 2018 |access-date=15 December 2020|language=de|last1=Gerstmeyer |first1=Maria-Antonia }}

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Category:German classical violinists

Category:German male classical violinists

Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Berlin

Category:Berlin University of the Arts alumni