Born in Indonesia, Marisa completed her Master degree in Composition at Royal Holloway University of London in 2013. She holds a Bachelor-Professional degree in Pharmacy from University of Indonesia and Master Certificate in Arranging & Orchestration from Berklee College of Music. Being a composer, conductor and pianist, Marisa also plays gamelan degung (Sundanese) and Balinese gamelan.
Awarded Celebrity Online Scholarship in the name of Juan Luis Guerra from Berklee in 2011, Marisa received Royal Holloway’s Travel Award: Dame Felicity Lott’s Bursary to pursuit her conducting experiences in 2013.
Marisa is the winner of Baroque Remixed Project 2012 National Postgraduate composer competition held by BBC Concert Orchestra. BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Charles Hazlewood premiered the piece at The Roundhouse, London, it was also broadcasted on the BBC Radio 3. In collaboration with Wayang Golek puppeteer Prof. Matthew Cohen, she composed and directed music for a puppet theatre performed at London’s prestigious Royal Festival Hall in Southbank Centre as part of Gamelanathon event. In 2013 Marisa was appointed as one of LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) Soundhub’s associate composers.
She has worked and received commissions from ensembles such as London Symphony Orchestra members, Hebrides Ensemble and Charles Peebles, CHROMA Ensemble, Contemporary Consort, CoMA, Ensemble Tiamori, Quatuor Bozzini, violist Michael Hall, d’artbeat musical productions, Jakarta Concert Orchestra, Bandung Philharmonic, Jakarta City Philharmonic, Orkes Simfoni Universitas Indonesia Mahawaditra, Seraphim Cantabile Choir, ITB Choir Festival 2014, Purwacaraka Music School Children Choir where her music has been premiered at concert halls in London, Oxford, Orkney (Scotland), Brussels, Australia, Beaver Island USA, Singapore, Jakarta, Jogjakarta, Bandung and Depok. In year 2017 her orchestral music was heard in Baroque on Beaver Music Festival in the United States of America, and her commissioned piece from Lake Forest Civic Orchestra based in Chicago is to be world premiered in Chicago, May 2018.
Having perfect-pitch ears, her music influences span from Stravinsky, Debussy, John Adams, Arvo Part, jazz music, to Indonesian indigenous music.
In 2016 Marisa was the first female conductor fellows of Bandung Philharmonic, receiving guidance and tutorial from conductor Robert Nordling. She conducted Orkes Simfoni Universitas Indonesia Mahawaditra in 2015-2016 and became composer in residence of the orchestra since 2016.
As a pianist she has traveled to all major islands in Indonesia and served throughout the archipelago as an accompanist for national choral festivals, she has also accompanied singers for concerts and recitals, and accompanied TV talkshows on national TV.
Her music has been described as “extraordinary”,”captivating”, “magical”, “exquisite”, “atmospheric”, “poetic”, “instinctive ear for colour combined with some genuine contrapuntal invention”, “unmistakable stylistic maturity”, “fascinating sound world” by her fellow composers, musicians and audience members.
Source : http://www.marisasharonhartanto.com