Calvin Abdiel

Calvin Abdiel, an Indonesian-Australian pianist, was born in Indonesia in 2001 and showed an early passion for classical music. After moving to Australia in 2011, he continued his musical education at the Sydney Conservatorium, where he completed his Bachelor of Music (Performance) with First Class Honours under the guidance of Natalia Ricci.

After obtaining a Master of Arts degree under Prof. Eldar Nebolsin at the HfM Hanns Eisler Berlin, supported by the DAAD Postgraduate Scholarship and the SCM George and Margaret Henderson Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship, Calvin is currently undertaking Konzertexamen in HfMT Hamburg under Prof. Stepan Simonian.

Calvin has won numerous prizes at international competitions, including the George Frederick Boyle Third Prize and the Nancy Weir Best Australian Pianist Prize at the Sydney International Piano Competition 2021. Following the competition, he embarked on a debut recital tour across Australia. Other awards include 2nd Prize at the International Competition for Young Pianists "Steps to Mastery" in 2017 and 1st Prize at the Ananda Sukarlan Award International Piano Competition in 2020. He has performed with renowned orchestras such as the St. Petersburg State Capella Symphony Orchestra and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, playing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 4 at the opening concert of the G20 Orchestra 2022. Calvin has given concerts in several countries, including Australia, Austria, Russia, and Germany, and has participated in major festivals.

His live performances in Australia have been recorded by ABC Classic FM and Fine Music FM. In June 2024, he released his debut CD, Themes and Variations, on Eloquence and Decca Australia.

Alongside his concert career, Calvin is actively involved in music ministry and choir training at IREC Berlin. Previously, he also served as conductor of the youth orchestra of IREC Sydney, the Cantate Deo Chamber Orchestra.