Guest Artist Recital with Conversations: Ayunia Indri Saputro , �Imagining Gamelan at the Piano�

Thursday, September 17, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Allendale Campus
Alumni, Community, Faculty, Staff, Students

Works by Debussy, Ravel, Godowsky, and possibly some Indonesian compositions

*This event is co-sponsored by University of Michigan, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance

Ayunia Indri Saputro is a pianist and educator from Surabaya, Indonesia. She has been awarded the Robert Rogers Prize in Piano and the Marnie Carter Music Scholarship at the University of British Columbia, where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, studying under Mark Anderson and Rena Sharon.

Ayunia has participated in concerts and music festivals, including the Dulwich International Music Academy Festival in Beijing, Jakarta New Year Concert, Batik for World Peace in New York, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, and the Mozarteum International Summer Academy. In 2016, she had the honor of performing at the residence of Indonesias third President, Prof. Dr. H. B.J. Habibie. She has appeared as a soloist with the UBC Symphony Orchestra and Jakarta Concert Orchestra.

Ayunia has been a prizewinner in several competitions, including the Ananda Sukarlan Award International Piano Competition, the Silverman Piano Concerto Competition, and the Indonesia International Piano Competition. She has also attended masterclasses and private lessons with renowned musicians such as Angela Hewitt, Ann Schein, Bruce Brubaker, Sara Davis Buechner, Eduardus Halim, and Aviram Reichert.

Equally passionate in performing and teaching, Ayunia has been an active board member of music teacher organizations. Her roles have included serving as the chair of the 2025 MTNA National Symposium in Ohio, MTNA Young Professional Advisory Council, and as a foreign correspondent for WPTA Indonesia. She is also an active adjudicator, examiner, and presenter in Indonesia and the United States.

Her current research explores the cross-cultural relationship between Indonesia and the Western classical tradition, with particular attention to the influence of gamelan. Her dissertation examines the works of underrepresented Indonesian composers, focusing on elementary to intermediate-level repertoire. In December 2026, she will perform Lou Harrison's Piano Concerto with Javanese Gamelan with the U-M Gamelan Ensemble.

Ayunia received the Joanne Smith Award in Teaching from the University of Michigan, where she completed her Masters degree in piano pedagogy and performance, studying under Christopher Harding, John Ellis, and Aya Hagelthorn. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral degree in piano pedagogy and performance at the University of Michigan. Ayunia aspires to always share the joy of learning and making music through both her performances and teaching.

Location Information

Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall

Download parking map for the Allendale Campus

Contact Information

Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance
616-331-3484

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This event was added to the calendar by Bridgett Vanderhoof (vandebri@gvsu.edu) on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 1:39 p.m.