A native of Indonesia of Chinese, Dutch and Javanese ancestry, Ayke Agus, a child prodigy at the age of 7 on violin and piano, came to the United States to continue her studies in New York. After winning several competitions she became the youngest member of the Buffalo Philharmonic. Her acceptance into the Jascha Heifetz Masterclass at USC began a lasting association with the great violinist, as well as opportunities to perform with cellist Gregor Piatigorsky. She collaborated with Heifetz in completing many of his transcriptions and posthumously completed, with Heifetz’ instructions, his unfinished transcription of Gershwin’s An American in Paris.
Ms. Agus was a member of the piano faculty at USC for over ten years. She gives annual master classes in violin and piano in Singapore and teaches in Indonesian villages as part of her mission to give back to her homeland. Ms. Agus regularly participates in chamber music festivals in the USA. Her most recent recording for Protone Records is Ayke Agus Doubles, in which she piano-accompanied her own violin playing of several Heifetz piano/violin transcriptions.
Ms. Agus’ memoir Heifetz, As I Knew Him was published in February 2001 (Amadeus Press). She contributed extensively to the making of the documentary film of Jascha Heifetz, God’s Fiddler, recently aired on PBS TV. Ms. Agus travels across the United States, Europe and Asia conducting workshops and master classes in the Heifetz musical tradition, at major universities.
Visit her website: http://www.aykeagus.com/