Levi Gunardi

At the age of five LEVI GUNARDI began to study the electone and at the age of six he began formal piano studies. He entered the JOC (Junior Original Concert, a group of talented musicians under 15) and composed original pieces for piano and electone, which he performed in several major Indonesian cities.

He was the winner of the 1992 National Yamaha Electone Festival and received the "Most Outstanding Performance Award" at the Southeast Asia Yamaha Electone Festival in Singapore. He received another award at the International Yamaha Electone Festival in Kyoto, Japan, and was the 1995 YPM (Yayasan Pendidikan Musik) artist award winner.

He has performed in master classes with Barry Snyder, Ruth Slenekczysa, Alexis Golovin, Solomon Mikowsky, Joaquin Soriano, Eduardus Halim, Reynaldo Reyes, Midori Nohara and Constance Keene.

Following his pre-conservatory music studies at YPM with Iravati M Soediarso in 1996, Levi was accepted at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City and studied under Constance Keene. In 1997, he performed at Steinway Hall and the Donell Library, both under the direction of the Leschetitzky Association. In 1998 and 1999, Levi gave a series of master classes to young Indonesian pianists in Jakarta.

In 1999, Levi performed "Carnival of the Animals" with fellow pianist William Whipple under the baton of Christian Tiemeyeer and his Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra. That same year he was one of the winners of the Bergen Philharmonic Concerto Competition in New Jersey, USA. While he was in Indonesia in the summer of 1999, he gave a solo recital at Erasmus Huis, Jakarta.

In August, 2000, he appeared as a soloist with the Twilite Orchestra (with Addie MS conducting) in a concert to celebrate 55 years of Indonesian independence. Among the distinguished guests were then President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Levi received full President Circle scholarships to the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, and won the Golden Musician award in 2003.