Suluk Tapel Adam in Frankfurt

A standing ovation thundered through the Frankfurt LAB in Frankfurt, Germany, on October 6 as soon as conductor Franck Ollu from Ensemble Modern Frankfurt finished presenting the work of Gatot Danar Sulistyo, 35, titled Mihrab, prayer niche. This was the final part of a program, Ruang Suara, or Sound Space, featuring the pieces of eight young Indonesian composers. The recitation of suluk, or mystical poetry, about the birth of Prophet Adam combined with percussion booms, along with the shrills of brass trumpets, trombones as well as the scrapes of cellos and violins in Gatot's composition might not just be strange to the ears of a German audience, but could also be a new experience for the Indonesian members of the audience.

The evening was a musical adventure. Ensemble Modern is known as a reputable group in Europe. Formed in 1980, this group is keen on playing the various works of avant-garde composers and frequently conducts tours from Africa to Latin America. The poster put up at Frankfurt LAB showed that they had just staged a collaboration performance with a group of gagaku, or old Japanese palace music. The clash of Eastern and Western instruments is nothing alien to them. That night, at Indonesia LAB, a festival to celebrate the selection of Indonesia as an honorary guest to Frankfurt Book Fair 2015, they tried to delve into the thoughts of our young composers, who in our own contemporary music world may not yet be popular enough.