A Musical Dialogue: Holland Baroque and Local Orchestras Collaborate for their Indonesian Tour

News item | 24-02-2026 | 10:00

Members of the renowned Dutch ensemble Holland Baroque arrived in Indonesia last week for a concert tour and collaboration with local musicians. The tour highlights the importance of cultural dialogue between the Netherlands and Indonesia, fostering knowledge exchange and mutual inspiration.

 

The tour kicked off in Jakarta, where the ensemble collaborated with young Indonesian talents from the Jakarta Conservatory of Music (JCoM). The concert at Erasmus Huis on Saturday, February 21, 2026, drew an impressive crowd of 966 attendees. To accommodate the high interest, the performance was broadcast via live stream from the auditorium to the library and the outdoor Erasmusplein area.

The collaboration between Holland Baroque and the conservatory students was the highlight of the evening. They performed two pieces together: Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco's Concerto Op. 6 No. 12 and the Batak song "Rambadia," which concluded the program. The audience gave a warm response to "Rambadia," which featured a beautiful blend of traditional Indonesian melody and classical composition, as arranged by Judith Steenbrink. This cross-cultural finale resonated deeply with the crowd, emphasizing that music connects diverse traditions. The musicians also gave a surprise live performance for attendees in the library, playing the opening piece of the evening by Dall'Abaco.

Holland Baroque, led by artistic directors Judith and Tineke Steenbrink, is known for its curiosity and for approaching every score as an unfinished work of art. Five members are taking part in the Indonesian tour: Judith Steenbrink (violin), Katarina Aleksić (violin), Joseph Tan (viola), Tomasz Pokrzywinski (cello), and Andrej Kapor (violin). In addition to their collaboration with Indonesian students, they performed pieces by renowned Baroque composers such as Arcangelo Corelli, Georg Friedrich Telemann, and Dutch composer Giovanni Henrico Albicastro. By combining knowledge, skill, and imagination, Holland Baroque created a new experience with their signature distinctive sound.

Masterclasses

Prior to the concert, members of Holland Baroque held masterclasses for JCoM students. Taking place at the Jakarta Conservatory of Music on February 20, 2026, around 13 students participated in both ensemble and solo sessions, where they studied works by Handel, Telemann, and J.S. Bach.

Touring Other Cities

Following the success in Jakarta, Holland Baroque continued their tour to Medan and Semarang to collaborate with the Sumatra Conservatoire and Alfa Bintang Orchestra, respectively. The concert in Medan took place at Wesley Methodist Church on February 25, and the final concert is set for RRI Semarang on February 28. All performances are free of charge, ensuring this vibrant cultural exchange remains accessible to all.