Melania Trump looking on during the 2019 VSA International Competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, was called an "amazing moment" by the young winner, Indonesian pianist, Kasyfi Kalyasyena.
It is not every day a musician gets to join an international music competition and win, much less have the First Lady of the United States be present among the audience---and have her be one of those awarding the prize and recognition.
But such was the excitement that the 17-year-old pianist and saxophonist felt in performing live in front of Mrs. Trump that he went on and posted about it on his Instagram. Kalyasyena was one of five winners in this year's International Young Soloist Competition which was held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The soloist, who is a native of Garut, West Java, is the only finalist to have come from outside of the United States. Kalyasyena shared the limelight with four other winners who were all U.S.-based music artists. These were Minneapolis, Minnesota native Tori Adams, the Riverdale, Georgia winner Avery Dixon, the Washington, DC-based Jose Andre Montano, and from Hillsborough, New Jersey, Maya Wagner.
All five winners received a cash prize each of US$2,000 and had the opportunity to be involved in several music rehearsals and benefitted from inputs by music professionals during roundtable discussions.
The Kennedy Center accessibility head, Betty Siegel, who is also the VSA General Director, shared in a statement that the awards are expected to generate conversation among the general public regarding physical disability and how that does not always equate to not being able to "excel." She said that the five awardees only serve to prove that a disability is not an impediment to "exceptional artistry."
Visually impaired musician Kalyasyena, initially upon arrival in the U.S. with his parents, went to the Indonesian Embassy to play for the Indonesian Ambassador to the U.S., Mahendra Siregar, who was impressed by the young talent.
Siregar expressed his enjoyment of the piano pieces that the talented Indonesian winner performed for him, which included "Apuse" and "Tik-tik Bunyi Hujan" ("Sounds of the Rain"). The selection had come from Gretchen Parlato, who is an American jazz artist, particularly from her album called, The Lost Found.
The Ambassador was also very supportive of the young talent, expressing his support of the artist's work and enjoining him to go on creating more music. As for Kalyasyena, he shared that it was his life's dream to join an International competition. It had been quite a journey for the Indonesian artist, who started playing the piano at age 3 years old.
He had weathered many tough challenges accordingly, which had only made him more determined to try harder. He played his first piano composition during a recital when he was just 5 years old. He went on to join and win in several competitions, not only playing the piano, but the saxophone as well. Kalyasyena not only took part in contests as a musician but also won creating his original arrangements and compositions.
His father, Patria Susantosa, explained his son's success, sharing that Kasyfi "learned" by listening to "judges' evaluations" of his performances at competitions and from that, the prodigy was able to "develop himself."
