MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Billy Kristanto graduated from Hochschule der Künste in Berlin, Germany, where he majored in harpsichord under Mitzi Meyerson. He furthered his studies in harpsichord and fortepiano under Ton Koopman and Stanley Hoogland, and received his postgraduate certificate from The Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2009, he successfully defended his doctoral thesis titled "Musical Settings of Psalm 51 in Germany ca. 1600-1750 in the Perspective of Reformational Music Aesthetics" under the guidance of early music specialist Prof. Dr. Silke Leopold at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. His second doctoral degree in systematic theology was conferred in 2011 following the completion of his dissertation on "The Glory of God in the Thought of John Calvin".

Particularly interested in historically-informed practice, Billy has given musical direction to several oratorio societies and performances in major cities in Indonesia, Singapore, Hamburg, and Berlin. He also lectures at The International Reformed Evangelical Seminary. On 31 January 2026, he was appointed Professor by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia to hold the Chair of Reformation Systematic Theology.

Billy also writes articles on music for international journal, presents papers on music at international conferences. Among his writings are "Reformation and Music" (Unio cum Christo 3 [2017]), "Pop Music, Pragmatism, and Christianity" (Ethos Institute, 2017), The Place of Music in the Church and in Society (Singapore: Sower Publishers, 2018), "Calvin dan Potensi Pemikirannya bagi Ibadah Kristen" (Veritas 19/2 [2020]), "Exil und religiose Identität in einigen Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach" (European Journal of Theology 29/2 [2020]), "The Beauty of Music" (Ethos Institute, 2022), "Ars Moriendi, The Art of Dying" (Ethos Institute, 2022), "J. S. Bachs Sterbekantaten im Lichte der lutherisch-orthodoxen und spätmittelalterlichen ars moriendi" (Evangelische Theologie 83/6 [2023]), and "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the most beautiful of them all?" (Ethos Institute, 2024).

As an ordained pastor at Gereja Reformed Injili Indonesia, Billy currently serves the International Reformed Evangelical Church in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Switzerland, and Stockholm (irec-europe.org).