BIOGRAPHY
“Edy's concert was a very powerful and aesthetically transformative experience. He chose such great pieces, placing them just right in the set list, and his sense of dynamics and technique, his masterful precision and emotional strength, made it all wonderfully real and profound. He did the chosen composers justice, and his own voice and composition were the perfect complement to the whole experience.”
— Athens Public Library Press, Ohio, USA
Dr. Edy Rapika Panjaitan is a classical and contemporary pianist-composer who is rapidly emerging as a compelling voice in today’s global classical music scene. He specializes in Interdisciplinary Arts, focusing on musicology, ethnomusicology, and piano performance.
As an artist, he is devoted to creating beauty through music and the arts—beauty that transcends spirituality, affirms our shared humanity, and leaves a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Dr. Panjaitan earned his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Arts (Artist-Scholar Track) at Ohio University, where he studies piano under Professor Christopher Fisher and conducts research with Professor Garret Field. Dr. Panjaitan received a prestigious Student Enhancement Award from Ohio University to conduct ethnographic research in Samosir Island, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dr. Panjaitan teaches applied piano, interdisciplinary arts, and a range of music courses, while also actively engaging in collaborative music-making, conducting, and composition. His academic journey is grounded in over a decade of experience in music education and performance. Guided by a deep commitment to interdisciplinary research, his work explores music in life-cycle rituals, aesthetics, performance, and cultural studies.
In 2026, Dr. Panjaitan world premiered his new contemporary ethnic instrumental piece "Bonapasogit" (ancestral homeland) in the 56th Pellegrini New Music Festival, Ball State University, and the 6th Global Arts International Festival and Conference at Ohio University. He recently premiered his new album "Odyssey" at his graduate piano recital on April 11, 2026. Dr. Panjaitan actively gives lecture performances and presentations at the American Musicology Society, Greater New York Chapter, and Society for Ethnomusicology, Midwest Chapter.
His dissertation research in Southeast Asian studies focuses on the music and life cycle rituals of the Toba Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia. This study examines the funerary tradition known as mangokal holi—the ritual exhumation and reburial of ancestral remains—focusing on the performance of gondang sabangunan, a traditional Toba Batak musical ensemble, and its essential role in accompanying both the ritual process and the tortor dance. Additionally, the project incorporates an analysis of ritual knowledge embedded in the 18th–19th century, a bark manuscript book called Pustaha (archived at the MET museum and Yale Art Gallery), a ritual compendium used by the datu (ritual specialist or shaman), which offers insight into the cosmological and symbolic dimensions of Toba Batak ritual life. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this research situates life cycle rituals within a broader cultural-historical and religious framework. In addition, his academic interests include the philosophy of the arts and aesthetics, performative studies, and Freudian psychoanalysis.
In 2024, Dr. Panjaitan presented recitals in Indonesia, China, and Southeast Ohio, USA. Dr. Panjaitan participated in European masterclasses with world-renowned pianists such as Rena Shereshevskaya, Lilya Zilberstein, Ewa Pobłocka, and Elena Margolina Hait. He participated in prestigious festivals including the Chigiana International Festival (Italy), Euro Arts Academy (Poland), the European Music Institute Vienna (Austria), the Verbier Festival (Switzerland), and the Taubmann Festival (New Jersey). Dr. Panjaitan received a masterclass with renowned Israeli pianist, Michal Tal, at the Steinway, NYC. He also received a masterclass with distinguished pianist FeiFei Dong at the 13th Taubman Festival. In 2025, Dr. Panjaitan was selected to play for Prof. Sondra Tamam's masterclass at the 14th Taubman Festival. He has worked with an Indonesian leading pianist and composer, Ananda Sukarlan. His research on Sukarlan’s Rapsodia Nusantara no 4 was presented at the Paradigmatic Revolution conference at the University of Canada, in April 2025. In Summer 2025, He received a masterclass with Alan Fraser at the Piano Somatics Institute. He recently participated in NCKP (National Conference Keyboard Pedagogy Conference) in Chicago, IL, and also participated in a remote masterclass with Prof. Michal Tal at the Piano Arad Festival in Israel.
Dr. Panjaitan draws inspiration from Indonesia's ethnic traditions, particularly the captivating sounds of Gamelan and Gondang, as well as the enchanting performing arts of Wayang and Sigale-gale puppetry. These cultural heritages have sparked his creativity, shaping a unique and imaginative voice throughout his artistic journey.
Born in a small village in North Sumatra, Indonesia, Dr. Panjaitan began piano studies at the age of 17—an age considered late in the classical training. Through remarkable perseverance and passion, he forged an unconventional path to artistic excellence, becoming one of Indonesia’s most promising classical musicians. His first major international performance took place in 2019 at the German Consulate in Chengdu, China, where he performed for dignitaries representing eleven countries.
A laureate of numerous national and international competitions, Dr. Panjaitan won first prize at the China-Germany International Youth Art Competition (Qingdao). He was awarded “Pioneer Star” for his artistic excellence. He received third prize in the Steinway & Sons Piano Competition (Sichuan) and second prizes of Indonesia Piano Competition in 2013 & 2015.
Further demonstrating his creative range, He won the Mars PPID International Songwriting Competition, organized by the Overseas Indonesian Students’ Association Alliance (OISAA). His winning composition—imbued with rhythmic spirituality and lyrical optimism—has inspired a fellow Indonesian student abroad.
Dr. Panjaitan earned his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Medan State University (Best Alumnus, 2016) and completed his master’s degree at the College of Chinese & ASEAN Arts, where he studied under Prof. Irina Gorin (USA), Prof. Patrick Lechner (Austria), and Prof. Jiang Qicheng (China). He was awarded the prestigious Chengdu-ASEAN Government Scholarship and recognized as an Outstanding Graduate. In addition to his academic work, he is widely recognized for mentoring numerous successful young pianists worldwide, particularly in Indonesia. He has worked as a piano teacher and guest lecturer at various Indonesian institutions. He has also served as a jury member for national and international competitions, including the Festival Lomba Seni Siswa Nasional (FLS2N) in 2021 and 2022.
As a passionate educator, Dr. Panjaitan founded the Panda Piano Course in 2020, a music education platform connecting students with distinguished pianists from across the globe. He also hosts Panda Piano Corner, a webinar series fostering artistic dialogue and exchange with internationally celebrated musicians. In 2023, he became the first Indonesian musician featured in the anthology The Power of Why Musicians, compiled by Glory St. Germain.
Colleague's praises:
“Mr. Panjaitan is a sensitive young pianist who lifts us out of our seats, transporting us to timbral worlds never thought possible on the instrument.” – Ian Anderson
“A beautiful pianistic touch… great sensitivity and awareness of the emotional content of the music.” – Chris Caton-Greasley