Amsterdam, April 15, 2026: Following a successful concert in Ankara, Avip Priatna and his groups, the Jakarta Concert Orchestra and Batavia Madrigal Singers, held a concert at the Grote Zaal, Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on April 15, 2026. This venue is a legendary concert hall highly respected by classical musicians and known as one of the best acoustic concert halls in the world
During the 90-minute concert, the audience enjoyed a mix of Indonesian national and regional songs that were rearranged into beautiful variations for a symphony orchestra. At this concert in the Netherlands, young Indonesian pianist James Lai, who often wins international piano competitions, performed with JCO to present 9 variations of Ismail Marzuki’s song “Sepasang Mata Bola”. This piano concerto, lasting over 20 minutes and created by Yazeed Djamin, seemed to completely amaze the 1200 people in the audience.
Tenor soloist Farman Purnama and mezzo-soprano Valentina Aman, along with child violinist Raelene Pramana, deeply moved many Indonesians living abroad who attended when they performed the song “Indonesia Pusaka”. This piece was performed with the Batavia Madrigal Singers choir. Raelene Pramana, an 11-year-old violinist of mixed Indonesian and Dutch heritage, recently won a violin competition in the Netherlands.
“I feel so proud watching the Symphony of the Archipelago concert performed by Avip and friends. This is the very first time an orchestra from Indonesia has performed at the Concertgebouw. I hope events like this help the Dutch public learn more about Indonesian music, which is just as beautiful as the music from Europe,” commented the Indonesian Ambassador in The Hague, Amrih Jinangkung, who also watched the concert.
Avip Priatna shared that he hopes this European tour with JCO and BMS will help promote Indonesian symphonic music, created by talented Indonesian composers, so that it can be enjoyed and played by professional orchestras all over the world.
Avip also specifically chose Het Concertgebouw because of its great acoustics, its long history, and its famous reputation as a place where many legendary composers and great conductors have performed.
Besides songs with Indonesian themes, JCO also played original symphonic pieces such as Rampak Melayu by Arya Pugala Kitti and Overture Fatahillah by Fero Aldiansya Stefanus. Together with BMS, JCO also performed arrangements of regional songs, including Tak Tong Tong, Sik Sik Sibatumanikam, and Benggong.
JCO’s flute duo, Meta Ariana and Marini Widyastari, played a fun variation of the song Tokecang arranged by film composer Elwin Hendrijanto, which they performed interactively with the whole audience.
“I didn’t expect the Symphony of the Archipelago concert to be so much fun. It makes me proud to see the audience giving such a warm response,” said Anggita Abdi, an Indonesian living and working in Amsterdam.
Avip Priatna, along with JCO and BMS, will continue their tour to Basel, Switzerland. The concert in Basel on April 17 will be part of the events celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Switzerland.
About the Batavia Madrigal Singers
Founded in 1996 by conductor Avip Priatna, the Batavia Madrigal Singers (BMS) is a well-established vocal group from Indonesia. The choir brings together singers from many different backgrounds and is known for its ability to perform a wide variety of music. Their
range covers classical and baroque pieces to modern pop, jazz, and traditional Indonesian folk songs. The choir has been invited to perform at highly prestigious international events, including the Polyfollia Festival in France and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Conference, an event widely recognised by choral experts around the globe. In 2022, the choir reached a massive milestone by winning the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Tours, France. This historic win, along with previous top prizes in Spain and Bulgaria, cemented their reputation as a highly regarded choir on the international stage.