A native of Jakarta, Indonesia, Dr. Martin Kesuma is an award-winning pianist praised for his “heartfelt flexibility and harmonic sensitivity” (Fanfare Magazine) and “clearly articulated playing of the highest order” (The Art Music Lounge). He has extensively performed as a solo pianist and chamber musician throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. Prior to his recent move back to Texas, Martin worked at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada, as a collaborative pianist and a chamber music instructor.
He has been recognized with major prizes in competitions including the San Jose International Piano Competition, Vancouver International Music Competition, PianoHouse International Piano Competition, Betty Dickinson Piano Competition, New York International Music Concours, Canadian International Music Competition, ASEAN International Concerto Competition, Petroff College Level Piano Competition, and Texas State International Piano Festival Concerto Competition. His debut album, “Detours,” was released in 2021 by Centaur Records to critical acclaim.
Martin’s concerto appearances include performances with Orkes Simfoni Nasional Indonesia (The National Symphony Orchestra of Indonesia), Central Texas Philharmonic, Round Rock Symphony, Density512 Orchestra, University of Texas-University Orchestra, and Texas State Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he has appeared for interviews and performances on the National Public Radio, KUTX (Austin), Texas Public Radio (San Antonio), and K-Radio (New York).
Martin earned his degrees in Piano Performance from Texas State University (BM), University of Texas at Austin (MM and DMA), and Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music (Artist Diploma Program). While at UT Austin, Martin also worked as the UT Piano Project coordinator, class piano instructor, and private lesson instructor. His principal teachers include Washington Garcia, Jason Kwak, Anton Nel, and James Anagnoson.
