Music

Odyssey: A Solo Piano Recital by Jefferson Darmawan

(Indonesia)

13 Dec 2025, Sat, 7.30pm

1hr 40mins

(Intermission: 1 x 20mins)

Esplanade Recital Studio

$24

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Synopsis

Odyssey: A Solo Piano Recital by Jefferson Darmawan is a musical journey across earthly and spiritual landscapes. The program opens with selections from Godowsky's Java Suite, presenting a tonal odyssey rich in delicate exoticism, evoking the dances, gardens, and bustling streets of the early 20th century Java. From these earthly evocations, the music descends into the fiery depths of Liszt's Dante Sonata, where the inferno, purgatory and absolution are forged into one of the most dramatic 19th century Romantic piano works. After intermission, Chopin's Barcarolle pays homage to the gondolier's song and takes one through a journey of sweeping lyricism resplendent with colour. The recital closes with Medtner's Improvisation No. 2, an enigmatic set of theme and variations depicting the mythical creature Rusalka that blurs the line between fantasy and reality.

Programme:

GODOWSKY - Java Suite (Part III)

LISZT - Après une lecture du Dante : Fantasia quasi sonata from Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie, S. 161

CHOPIN - Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60

MEDTNER - Improvisation No. 2 Op. 47

Admission Age:

6 and above.

Language: English

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Artist Information

Jefferson Darmawan

Jefferson Darmawan is an Indonesian-born pianist based in Singapore. In 2023, he earned a Distinction in the Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music in Piano Performance under the tutelage of Timothy Ku. In 2024, Darmawan gave an ambitious premiere recital in the Esplanade Recital Studio, which garnered the attention of the local Straits Times newspaper for his technical command, interpretive mastery, and unusual programming. In this recital, he presented the Singapore premiere of Nikolai Medtner's Night Wind piano sonata, a single-movement work which lasted an uninterrupted 35-minutes.

The performance was lauded in a Straits Times article: "That Darmawan committed all this to memory was admirable enough, but what beggared belief was the extremely demanding execution that came close to being faultless. He had fully grasped the concept of sonata form..."

Darmawan remains actively performing in both solo and collaborative settings and is committed to presenting ambitious and unusual piano recital programmes to classical music enthusiasts.

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Date & Time

13 Dec 2025, Sat

7.30pm

Esplanade Recital Studio

Tickets & Prices

	Standard
Price	$24

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