Amir, the Maestro

At the age of 93, Amir Pasaribu is not only the healthiest man in Indonesia but also the most important composer of integrity in this land.

In the 1950s Amir Pasaribu was known as a modern composer as well as one of the foremost music educators and thinkers of the time. For a time he taught in Suriname. During those years he severely criticized the spread of Hawaiian style bands and American pop music culture in Indonesia. Amir felt that they caused serious orchestras and the music arts to lose the public’s interest. His writings are still relevant today.

Read Tempo’s report on visiting Amir in Medan and writing about his life and thoughts. The pianist Ananda Sukarlan managed to recover the scores of Amir Pasaribu’s music which were scattered in various journals of the 1950s such as Siasat, Mimbar Indonesia, Zenith and Pudjangga Baru. He then played Amir’s compositions to Amir himself. Read about the maestro’s moving reaction upon hearing his own music again.